In the spotlight
‘Misinfo-demic’ about COVID-19 proliferating falsehoods, putting more lives at risk: Guterres
business-standard, 15.04.2020
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that misinfo-demic about COVID-19 on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp is proliferating falsehoods and announced a new UN initiative to flood the internet with facts and science to counter the poison of misinformation that is putting more lives at risk.
Read more
One in three people saw corona fake news
euobserver, 15.04.2020
Some 40% of people polled in Spain and 38% in the UK have seen some form of deliberate coronavirus disinformation on digital platforms like Facebook or Twitter, according to a new survey in six countries by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford.
Read more
Vietnam introduces ‘fake news’ fines for coronavirus misinformation
reuters, 15.04.2020
A new decree took effect in Vietnam on Wednesday introducing fines for the dissemination of ‘fake news’ or rumours on social media, amid the rapid spread of comment online about the novel coronavirus in the Southeast Asian country.
Read more
Social Media is full of bots spreading COVID-19 anxiety. Don’t fall for it
sciencealert, 02.04.2020
Recently Facebook, Reddit, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube committed to removing coronavirus-related misinformation from their platforms. COVID-19 is being described as the first major pandemic of the social media age. In troubling times, social media helps distribute vital knowledge to the masses.
Read more
Agriculture & Environment
EU alliance calls for green recovery plan
euobserver, 15.04.2020
An alliance of 180 European politicians, business leaders, MEPs and environmental activists urged, on Tuesday (14 April), to increase green investment in the bloc to develop “a new model of prosperity” based on sustainability, the protection of biodiversity, and the transformation of the EU’s agri-food system.
Read more
UN climate summit postponed until 2021 because of COVID-19
CBC, 02.04.2020
This year’s United Nations global climate summit is being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, host country Britain said Wednesday. The U.K. government said the meeting, due to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, will now be held next year at a date still to be determined.
Read more
Information society
Why we should be slow to use tracking apps in coronavirus response
irishtimes, 09.04.2020
Could the use of tracking, health or distancing apps solve – or even just improve – the coronavirus situation in Ireland? Globally? Such apps, in varying forms, have been in use in and Singapore for weeks now. The HSE has promised its own tracing or tracking app, though has not been very clear on what it will actually purport to do.
Read more
Facebook draws on user data to help battle coronavirus
business-standard, 07.04.2020
Facebook on Monday said it is providing anonymous data about users’ movements and relationships to help researchers better anticipate where the coronavirus might spread. The leading online social network is augmenting maps on “population movement” with tools to glean insights in ways that still….
Read more
Coronavirus exposes lack of common data approach
euobserver, 06.04.2020
The agency checks 500 websites daily to produce the update of data worldwide. While ECDC recognises that small discrepancies in the number of cases between the various sources are normal, the agency believes that “such small differences in the total number of cases have no epidemiological relevance”.
Read more
Food & Health
Coronavirus latest: Germany defends WHO after Trump halts funding
deutschewelle-hr, 15.04.2020
Earlier today Germany Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Trump’s move, saying the United Nations and “especially the underfunded WHO” were the best institutions to “strengthen the development and distribution of tests and a vaccine.” China and Russia have also slammed the decision.
Read more
New ClinicAll Communicator App supports care staff vs Corona
europapress, 14.04.2020
Decisive action is now needed to fight the coronavirus successfully. Most importantly, nursing staff needs protection and support. Everything that makes their work easier improves patient care, relieves pressure on hospitals and, in the end, helps saving lives.
Read more
Singapore, Japan cases jump, India extends largest lockdown
ABCnews, 14.04.2020
Residents wearing masks against the coronavirus collect food supplies in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Monday, April 13, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness.
Read more
Science policy & Communication
Investigating the coronavirus: Incomplete data creates headaches for reporters
icij, 15.04.2020
I’m a COVID-19 data skeptic. The most widely-used numbers to describe the impact of the pandemic — reported cases and deaths — are flawed. Limited testing in much of the world, including the United States, has meant untold thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of infected are not included in official tallies.
Read more
Worried about Zoom’s privacy problems? A guide to your video-conferencing options
guardian, 09.04.2020
With offices and schools around the world temporarily shut amid the coronavirus crisis, the video platform Zoom has seen overnight success. But growing concerns over security across the platform have many consumers wondering about tech alternatives. Privacy-minded consumers should consider video….
Read more
EU initiatives
Coronavirus: EU finance ministers agree on €500 billion emergency fund
euronews-en, 10.04.2020
EU Finance ministers agreed on Thursday to a common emergency plan to limit the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the European economy.EU member states have agreed to an emergency response plan of €500 billion. “This proposal contains bold and ambitious proposals that would have been….
Read more
EPRS Briefing – Towards a joint European approach on vaccination
europarl, 08.04.2020
Diseases do not recognise borders; vaccination is required to fight them effectively.
Read more
Curious news
People urged to do wardrobe clear-out for great reason during Covid-19
leinsterexpress, 14.04.2020
While we are staying at home during the Covid-19 lockdown, World Vision Ireland is encouraging people to avoid online clothes shopping and to do a wardrobe clear-out. People are advised to donate their unwanted clothes to charity shops when they open again.
Read more
