Where do you get your information regarding the status of our current Covid-19 pandemic? MSNBC, CNN, FOX, the Whitehouse….Youtube, Facebook, Twitter….? The list goes on and on and on, but who is the most reliable source? That’s almost a pun, because if someone asked me “who is the most reliable source of information regarding Covid-19?” I would answer, “WHO, as in the World Health Organization, the people who are monitoring the whole situation for sake of humanity rather than ratings, clicks, campaigning, and of course the wide variety of “likes” on social media.
And don’t get me started on political parties trying to funnel people through their party websites when people just want to get information. Why would my reps send me to a red landing page, or a blue landing page rather than just send me to our state or national pages? And why would I waste time getting aggravated by our president who only seems to be trying to gain political points with every coronavirus public statement, a tough thing to do when many of his statements seem to be based in misinformation and ignorance all wrapped up in his ego.
Let’s cut through the crap, let’s just get the information we need from as close as possible to the source and let’s just make up our own minds.
World Health Organization – a world view, information and recommendations.
Center for Disease Control – a national view, information and recommendations
Washington State Department of Health (your state may vary) – Status and actions in our State
Our World in Data – a UK based data aggregator, not alligator, that presents raw data from several science based organizations in a more digestible form.
Institute for Health Metrics – another great site if you like just the information without the b.s. Good state by state, visualizations of resources and projections.
I tend to lean heavily on Our World in Data because I would rather know the raw data first before someone comes along (at a proper social distance) and throws out something outlandish calling it the truth, or maybe just slightly massages the truth to fit their personal agenda.
Consider these lines of thinking:
- Facts are the basis of all fact checking
- When you don’t know anything, you’ll be inclined to believe everything
- If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. (?)
- Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James)
All those lines of thinking go together. Get informed before informing others. Don’t convey opinions, or memes, as fact. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet. Be concerned, cautious, mindful, but don’t panic. And wash your hands, maintain a good social distance, practice social media distancing, be kind, and if there’s no food to eat you won’t need toilet paper…win win.
