UNE’s Jennifer Gunderman discusses COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ as part of Maine Public Health Association panel presentation

Jennifer Gunderman, M.P.H., director of the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and assistant clinical professor of public health at the University of New England, recently presented to the Maine Public Health Association as part of a panel discussion on misinformation about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Gunderman partook in the panel presentation, “Misconceptions in Public Health” on Oct. 16, in which she discussed the COVID-19 “infodemic,” a term describing an outbreak of misinformation about the virus, and how misconceptions around COVID-19 can impact public health work and how to effectively communicate public health messages.

Gunderman was joined by public health consultant Laura Blaisdell, M.D., M.P.H., and John Hagan, chair of the Maine Climate Table, in the discussion moderated by Carol Kelley of Pivot Point, a Portland-based communications firm.

The infodemic related to COVID-19 has spread misinformation about the disease and its transmission, treatment, and prevention, Gunderman said. But, she added, the issue can be addressed by such interventions as targeted public health messaging, reporting misinformation on social media platforms, pushing correct information in timely way, and developing infodemic surveillance systems