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Collected Item: “Rampant misinformation and disinformation continues”

Give your story a title.

Rampant misinformation and disinformation continues

What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?

screenshot, link

Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.

This is a screenshot from a group several friends are in. The group is holistic-minded which, in itself, is not anti-science but folks who are into holistic medicine seem to be particularly vulnerable to the misinformation and disinformation out there. This screenshot shows one person asking the OP if they’ve tested their child for COVID. The OP answers that they’ve swabbed their child several times. A third person warns the OP that sterile swabs contain ethylene oxide and so they cause cancer. Reuters did some myth-busting regarding this claim. (Link included). It’s so disheartening to see this rampant disinformation and misinformation, especially in communities I formerly felt a part of.

Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?

misinformation, disinformation, holistic, ethylene oxide, swab

Enter a URL associated with this object, if relevant.

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-coronavirus-swabs/fact-check-covid-19-nasal-swabs-sterilised-with-ethylene-oxide-are-safe-to-use-idUSL1N2P30YI

Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)

Reuters

Give this story a date.

2021-09-14
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