The 'Infodemic' More Frightening Than COVID-19... Could It Also Influence the US Presidential Election?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Alongside the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the infodemic?information infection caused by fake news?is rapidly spreading worldwide, leading to various side effects such as regionalism and racial discrimination. In the United States, with the presidential election approaching, public fear driven by the infodemic is expected to significantly influence voter sentiment, raising concerns that the political sphere may further fuel this phenomenon.

According to The Washington Post on the 1st (local time), isolation facilities for mild COVID-19 patients have emerged as a new variable in the U.S. presidential election. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to set up isolation facilities in Alabama to transfer mild patients who were infected overseas and returned to the country, prompting widespread opposition throughout Alabama. Not only Governor Kay Ivey but also all members of Congress representing the area strongly opposed the plan.

President Donald Trump reportedly criticized the plan and ordered its cancellation. Alabama is traditionally known as a Republican stronghold and is home to many of President Trump's supporters. With the U.S. presidential election imminent, the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) phenomenon driven by the infodemic among local residents is feared to spread to other regions.

Racial discrimination fueled by the infodemic is also intensifying. According to The New York Times, a recent incident on the Los Angeles subway involved a white man making racist remarks toward a Thai woman, saying, "All diseases come from China. Chinese people are disgusting," causing controversy. In New York, a black man assaulted an Asian woman wearing a mask, accusing her of being "infected."

In Europe, especially in Italy where COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, strong racial discrimination and assault incidents against Asians are increasing. According to the Italian daily Il Messaggero, a Chinese young man was assaulted at a pub in Casola, a northern Italian city. When he tried to enter to exchange change, staff stopped him, saying he could not enter due to virus infection concerns, and a man in his 30s inside the pub struck the young man’s head with a glass. In some Italian cities like Milan, after the spread of COVID-19, Chinese people have been refused lodging or even evicted from their homes.

In Australia, there have been cases where Asian medical staff were refused medical treatment altogether. The British daily The Guardian reported that the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, announced on the 27th of last month that it had received reports of racial discrimination related to COVID-19. Stuart Lewin, head of emergency medicine at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, explained, "Recently, a staff member heard from a guardian that they felt uncomfortable with him treating their child due to COVID-19 risks," adding, "Three more similar cases have been reported."

Even in China, the first country where COVID-19 spread, infodemic posts encouraging discrimination and hatred against Koreans have increased as COVID-19 cases rise in Korea. According to the Shenyang Evening News, a Chinese individual was detained for spreading false information after posting that a Chinese person returning from Korea died in a hospital and that a street with many ethnic Koreans was sealed off. In Dalian, another Chinese person was detained for spreading a fake rumor via a Weibo account that Koreans were hiding COVID-19 infections, leading to apartment lockdowns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also urged health authorities to intensify efforts to combat the infodemic alongside COVID-19 prevention measures. Alexandra Kuzmanovic, WHO social media manager, emphasized in an interview with CNN, "In recent years, as social media platforms have grown, the infodemic is spreading faster than the virus," adding, "WHO is collaborating with various social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to trace the sources of rumors to curb the spread of the infodemic."