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Pen mightier than the sword?

www mightiest of them all!

The internet has been an irreplaceable tool is, the internet and its various platforms (read
during the times of the pandemic. Isolated in social media platforms) proved to be a life-
our little socially distanced silos, we have col- saver to people who were helplessly hunting
lectively retained our sanity and connection for oxygen, vital medication and hospital
with the outside world through digital means. beds. The digitally powered networks of good
In these indeterminate times, while the Samaritans operating these platforms have
DR. SUSHANT UMRE world is wading through this novel global enabled strangers from across cities working
threat, the world is also witnessing a learning tirelessly in real time, to help those in desper-
spree. This ability of the internet to connect us ate need.
5 COUNTER MEASURES and keep us abreast with the developments in Conversely, a lot of information available
TO STOP THE SPREAD the world of medicine and healthcare has over the online portals is false and wrongly
OF MISINFORMATION been immensely beneficial to us. For more motivated. Experimental therapies, imaginary
than a year now, the number of hours we, the conspiracy theories, unscientific advice all
1. Use publicly available fact
checking sites like medical professionals, have spent in front of proliferate at the speed of light. Easy and
Factchecker and Truth or our digital devices are countless with webina- instant access to healthcare information is a
Fiction to verify information. rs, online workshops galore etc. boon in so many ways, at the same time, it
2. Encourage use of verified With the recent lockdown restrictions also serves to heighten panic, encourages self-
open source platforms being lifted, and work routines and Dental medication and self-diagnosis. It is easy to
among netizens. For
instance, World Health practices being reinstated, we are faced yet misinterpret information for knowledge and
Organisation has launched a again, with another new challenge in the form worse, expertise. Also while surfing, there is
health alert on WhatsApp of the black fungus. This fungus as we learn an obstinate need to believe the worst. The
and Chatbot on Facebook more, is ubiquitous and generally harmless, internet has been the single greatest catalyst
Messenger to provide accu-
rate information on corona but is causing mayhem in these dystopian for mass hypochondria.
virus. WHO also has an times. The impact is chiefly noted among For instance, of late we dental professionals
online platform that includes Covid recovered diabetic patients (read are flooded with requests from patients for
myth-busters.
immunosuppressed) who were administered urgent checkups to rule out that the melanin
3. Actively report false infor- lifesaving steroids. Mucormycosis is not such pigment on their gums or some vague dis-
mation to the platform
administrators. e.g. Google a rare infection, especially in India. (An aside: comfort in their jaw is not black fungus.
removes misleading informa- I haven’t encountered a single case of While on one hand, having a more informed
tion from YouTube and Mucormycosis in my general dental practice set of patients who are able to receive and
Google Map; Twitter moni- of four decades) implement expert advice knowledgeably can
tors accounts that are credi-
ble sources of information Like my colleagues I also find myself scam- be an advantage, on the other, for the vast
about COVID-19. Public help pering to the internet to know more about the majority, it only creates panic.
would further boost these disease. Needless to say, the information Having too much information, too readily
endeavours.
super-highway that the internet is, it never available is a problem. Human mind is some-
4. Be critical and overly fails to deliver. You get information from aeti- how wired to get enticed by the most deleteri-
cautious when you look at
social media. Try and have ology, to disease progression, to its manage- ous and search engines are designed to pop up
debates on the ill effects of ment, all in a matter of minutes from the best the most searched hence we get sucked into
the spread of false informa- in the world. this malicious cycle.The more we click on
tion with others on your net- Internet has played an incredible role, espe- adverse information, unintentionally we
work and educate them.
cially in the lives of our medical colleagues in ensure it stays in the forefront.
5. Finally, let us not be agents
of false information. Ask for treating patients from wherever they might There is an urgent need to recognise this
the source of the informa- be. It has enabled patients to speak with doc- problem. We need to talk to our friends, peers
tion, personally verify and tors of their choosing and consult them over and family to refrain from furthering this neg-
research the facts before video/audio, which has made a huge differ- ativity. Remember fear is the deadliest virus of
adding oneself to the chain
of forward messages.Often ence at a time when personal contact of any all. Perhaps the best course is to limit our
it only takes a few clicks to kind is best avoided and discouraged. information to what is immediately useful,
detect false information.
With the second wave highlighting just and to use Google exclusively to decide which
how dilapidated our healthcare infrastructure show to watch next.

Dental Practice // May-June 2021 // Vol 17 No 5 69