BIO FPX 1000 Assessment 7 Media and Internet: Accurate vs Inaccurate

Student Name

Capella University

BIO FPX 1000 Human Biology

Prof. Name:

Date

Covid-19

Vaccine

Identify a time when the media or internet influenced you with accurate or inaccurate information.

Given that we are currently experiencing a pandemic due to this deadly virus, I have chosen this topic. The rapid development of the vaccine has led to skepticism among many individuals. A significant number of people believe that Covid-19 and the vaccine are part of a conspiracy, fearing that vaccination may cause more harm than good.

News Outlets

January 9, 2020: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Coronavirus had emerged in Wuhan, China.
January 21, 2020: The first U.S. resident was reported to have contracted the Coronavirus.
March 11, 2020: WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.
March 13, 2020: President Trump declared a national emergency.
May 28, 2020: The death toll from the Coronavirus surpassed 100,000 in less than six months, with the virus now considered much deadlier than the flu.
August 17, 2020: The Coronavirus became the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
September 28, 2020: Global Coronavirus deaths exceeded 1 million.
December 11, 2020: The vaccine was released in the U.S.

Social Media/Fake News

Claims circulated on Facebook that Big Pharma created the virus to profit from it.
There were assertions that the virus was engineered to eliminate the weaker segments of the population due to overpopulation concerns.
Rumors spread that the vaccine contained microchips.
Hydroxychloroquine was touted as a protective measure against the virus.
The virus was referred to as the “China virus,” leading to attacks on Chinese individuals.
False claims suggested that it was safe to inject disinfectants.

Information Found

Information about the topic was prevalent everywhere in 2020, with discussions about the Coronavirus and its severity, as well as warnings about people not taking it seriously and the increasing number of daily infections.
Daily warnings were issued by the CDC.
Coverage was provided by major news outlets such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and CNN.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were filled with information.
Medical websites, including Kaiser, WebMD, and Mayo Clinic, also provided information.
Even TV shows and movies addressed the pandemic.

Vaccines Authorized for Use

Pfizer-BioNTech
- Number of shots: 2, administered 21 days apart
- Method of administration: Injection into the muscle of the upper arm.
Moderna
- Number of shots: 2, administered 28 days apart
- Method of administration: Injection into the upper arm.
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen
- Number of shots: 1
- Method of administration: Injection into the muscle of the upper arm.

What Specific Symptoms or Prevention Methods Did You Identify?- Symptoms to watch for include:

Difficulty breathing
Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Body aches
Dry cough
These symptoms can resemble those of the flu, so vigilance is necessary.
Symptoms typically appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

Prevention methods include:
- Wearing a mask
- Washing hands frequently
- Maintaining a safe distance of 6+ feet
- Avoiding crowds
- Getting vaccinated when eligible

Explain How You Determined if You Found Either Inaccurate or Accurate Information About the Topic by Locating Resources and Evaluating the Credibility of the Main Source.

When encountering information on social media and news sources, I would always seek additional sources to verify the claims being made. If I could not find corroboration from credible sites, I considered the information to be fake news. For example, claims that the virus was created to eliminate the population or that the vaccine contained microchips for government tracking were deemed inaccurate.

References

Different COVID-19 Vaccines. (2021, March 4). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html
Hollimon, N. (2020, March 18). Symptoms of Coronavirus. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/lung/covid-19-symptoms#1