Covid-19 Is On The Rise Again: How Misinformation Affected The General Public

By: Kaitlyn Kymer and Tracy Osawe (Ed.)

January 10, 2024

In light of the fact that the new Covid-19 variant JN.1 has resulted in a surge of Covid-19 related cases (“the Virus”), it is important that the American people are made aware of the past political failures that resulted in the dissemination of baseless claims regarding the Virus. Specifically, it would be in the best interest of all Americans to understand the role that former President Trump (“Trump”) played in the dissemination of the above-mentioned baseless claims.

At the height of the pandemic Trump both engaged and encouraged conspiracy theorists such as Australian chef Pete Evans (“Mr. Evans”) to create their own narratives (or better yet “scientifical conclusions”) in order to provide the general public with the comfort and understanding that they so desperately sought as it pertains to the Virus. At one point, Mr. Evans even utilized his podcast to announce the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic (“the Pandemic”) was a “hoax”. Please note that Mr. Evans does not possess any medical or scientifical credentials whatsoever.

On April 23, 2020, Trump advised Americans that a “very powerful light” or common household disinfectants – such as bleach – would rid the human body of the Virus. Please note that despite Trump’s alleged claim of being “good at science”, he does not possess any medical training or experience that qualifies him to engage in the provision of such “medical advice.” Indeed, when one considers the fact that millions of Americans rely upon the guidance of their President during challenging periods – such as the Pandemic – I would contend that such claims are a threat to the general welfare of the American people. Especially when one takes into account that a 2020 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that four percent of Americans adults actually drank or gargled diluted bleach in order to prevent a Covid-19 diagnosis. That is approximately ten million Americans.

Mr. Evans also shared a similar claim during one of his podcast discussions with guest Andreas Kalcker (“Mr. Kalcker”). According to Mr. Kalcker, he possessed a “100% effective solution” for the Virus – despite the fact that he had no medical training or experience. That solution was Chlorine Dioxide.

Chlorine Dioxide is a gas – used in very small quantities (by experts) – to disinfect water. However, if used in large amounts (especially by individuals who do not possess any scientific knowledge of Chlorine Dioxide), it can quickly result in damage to red blood cells and the gastrointestinal lining. Nevertheless, throughout the duration of the podcast, neither Mr. Kalcker nor Mr. Evans disclosed that extremely vital information.

Trump later attempted to claim that his above mentioned outlandish claims were “simple sarcasm”. However, that is completely unjustifiable. As the President of the United States, Trump was one of the most influential persons in the world. Therefore, it is no surprise that many Americans heavily valued and without a doubt trusted that the President had provided them with fact-based information that would preserve the general welfare of the people. Especially when one takes into account the fact that Trump was collaborating with Dr. Anthony Fauci (“Dr. Fauci”) – former Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and former Chief Medical Officer of the United States – in order to quickly provide Americans with any and all information pertaining to the Virus.

Unlike Trump, Mr. Evans and Mr. Kalcker, Dr. Fauci did in fact possess the medical credentials that qualified him to advise Americans on safety procedures that would minimize the rampant spread of the Virus. For example, Dr. Fauci encouraged people to wear masks. According to Dr. Fauci, wearing masks would “reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses... by reducing the number of infectious particles that may be inhaled or exhaled”. Additionally, Dr. Fauci also recommended social distancing. Social distancing required people to stand six feet apart at all times in order to reduce the chances of disease transmission.

Nevertheless, Trump was convinced that his being “good at science” exempted him from providing Americans with the credible and fact checked information provided by Dr. Fauci. In fact, during a nationally televised press conference, Trump proceeded to refer to Dr. Fauci and his colleagues as “idiots”.

The conduct and lack of regard for American lives displayed by Trump is unacceptable. Americans should be able to depend upon the U.S. government to provide them with accurate information in order to preserve their well-being. Especially during times of crisis.

If Trump had taken a firm stance on addressing the Covid-19 crisis while it was happening, the Covid-19 related deaths (many of which were caused by the misinformation that certain individuals utilized to protect themselves from Covid-19) could have potentially been minimized. To date, over six hundred million Americans have died of Covid-19. That figure is one of the highest in the world.

I strongly advise Americans to rely upon individuals such as Dr. Fauci (and similar medical professionals) when searching for Covid-19 related information. With the recent spike in Covid-19 related cases we must refrain from repeating the same mistakes that resulted in countless dissemination of illogical information that continues to plague all social media platforms to date.

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