Pandemic Leads to 'Infodemic': Policymakers can combat misinformation with facts.

• Author: Goodwin, Kristine
• Position: CORONAVIRUS

As COVID-19 spreads, so too does misinformation, creating what data and health scientists at the World Health Organization have deemed an "infodemic." It's what happens when we have what the organization calls an "overabundance of information--some accurate and some not--that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."

So rampant is misinformation that the WHO began tracking and dispelling myths on its myth-busters webpage and offering shareable graphics that communicate science clearly for the public.

In an era when so many have what amounts to a Google degree in COVID-19, state and local policymakers are showing how data and research offer both an antidote to misinformation and a path forward. To cut through the clutter, policymakers can consider asking the following questions to test the merits of evidence and decide how to use it.

1. How are you defining "evidence"?

   Policymaking through an infodemic merits a healthy dose of skepticism. When you hear claims about what "the evidence shows," ask how it's being defined. Does it reflect an expert's professional judgment, an anecdotal study, a study with a control group? While professional opinions and anecdotal observations have value, evidence that's been tested is more trustworthy.

   Some states have defined what constitutes evidence in legislation or through definitions established by state agencies. Lawmakers value high-quality, causal evidence that shows whether a policy will produce a specific result. Knowing your state's definitions, and clarifying them when needed, can ensure that everyone is speaking the same language.

2. What's your source?

   Driven by a mission to inform and protect the public, many federal sources offer reliable, science-based information and guidance. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and corona-virus.gov, a partnership of the CDC, the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Many state and territorial health agencies also are good resources. Several national organizations committed to delivering unbiased, bipartisan information, like NCSL, track and post federal and state actions daily.

   But with so many news and information outlets, it can be hard to judge a source's quality and credibility. It can help to know if a study has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, such as The New England Journal of Medicine, because that tells you it was...