Coronavirus facts and debunking myths

Disinformation about the pandemic continues to spread, adding a challenge for public health officials responding to an increase in coronavirus cases in several parts of the U.S. During the early days of the outbreak, almost half of American respondents in a Pew Research survey said they had seen at least some completely fabricated news about the virus.

In a later study, the majority of American participants expressed some confidence in their ability to fact-check coronavirus claims. About 20 percent were not confident.

On Monday, MPR News host Kerri Miller talked with two doctors about the latest facts on science of the virus and about the challenges posed by misinformation and disinformation for medical professionals and researchers. They also tackled the spin and rumors listeners have heard.

Guests:

• Dr. Angela Hewlett is the medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit and an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

• Dr. Krutika Kuppalli is an infectious disease doctor and vice-chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Global Health Committee

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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