As California assesses the lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, public health experts say they are concerned about managing future health emergencies after battling a disinformation crisis.
For the last two years, county public health departments have been tasked to respond to a pandemic unlike anything seen in decades. As guidance from the California Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for managing local crises shifted weekly, local departments like Butte County’s faced an enormous task of keeping the public informed using rapidly changing methods, including Facebook and YouTube – with mixed results.
Social media played a crucial part in informing the public, but communication and health experts think it also may have contributed to the crisis. As of this month, only 54% of the county’s residents have had two COVID-19 vaccine doses and nearly 41% are unvaccinated, while statewide 76% are vaccinated and 17% are unvaccinated.
