the covid-19 pandemic

A year ago, the idea that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from a Chinese laboratory was regarded widely with suspicion, disbelief, and, at times, dismissal. Now, the possibility is treated as far more plausible, with recent statements from President Biden, Dr. Fauci, and WHO General-Secretary Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus insisting that the theory cannot be ruled out. This shift reflects the changing attitudes of scientists, government authorities, and the media, despite no definitive explanation for the origins of the virus.

There’s no more evidence to support the lab leak theory than there was 16 months ago and yet it has received substantial new attention. Partially, this is due to…

Many have noted that the Covid-19 pandemic was accompanied by an “infodemic” — a flood of related news and information that played a large role in how different populations responded to the virus. Looking back at 2020, we can now see what a full year of Covid-19 coverage tells us, from who was publishing the most to who was publishing the best, most well-researched journalism.

The Factual used its AI-powered algorithm to analyze 178,845 articles about Covid-19 from across the political spectrum in 2020. The emerging data allows us to analyze trends in media output, including…

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage throughout the world including the United States which averaged 243,503 cases and 3119 deaths over the last seven days [1]. The surge in post-holiday cases has pushed hospitals past capacity. As of January 10th, there are 128,710 active COVID-19 hospitalizations [2]. 35% of intensive care units are 90% or more occupied [3]. The overwhelming number of hospitalizations has caused staff and equipment shortages and fundamentally altered the way that we deliver care. These shortages will…

It is certainly interesting times that we find ourselves in. Fake news, pervasive science denial, a new conspiracy theory seemingly every week, tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths from the pandemic that could have been easily avoided by acknowledging the recommendations coming from the scientific community, and many more examples. Society is swimming in false information that is literally costing people their lives at this point and driving us apart through polarization [1]. But what can we do? Quite a bit actually…

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not recommend wearing masks to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As the pandemic has raged on, however, these organizations now recommend the opposite. As a result, an increasing number of cities and states within the United States require the use of a mask when in public settings. The shifting guidelines by…

In May, the United States began relaxing restrictions that were put into place to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Although federal guidelines for the reopening process were published, states have created and implemented individual plans for reopening. The result has been an unmitigated disaster. While certain states, including former hotspots such as New Jersey, New York, and Illinois have managed to “flatten the curve,” the majority of other states, including Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, and others, have seen record numbers of new cases of COVID-19 [1]. The United States, as a whole, is…

Whether you believe that COVID-19-related estimates, specifically infections and deaths, are over- or under-reported depends almost entirely on where you get your news. This is an unfortunate result of these sources having diverging motives. Some aim to inform the public while others are advancing their own agendas. Discerning which is which can prove difficult, especially because many of the arguments made by nefarious individuals and organizations are…

Coronavirus, COVID19, or SARS-CoV-2 are all names that you've heard for the novel virus that was first identified in Wuhan China in 2019 and that's currently severely disrupting our way of life throughout the world. This is the same virus that has overwhelmed the healthcare systems of various countries, has been called a “hoax” by certain world leaders, has led to social-distancing practices implemented throughout the world, and forced us to…