Levels of COVIDiocy: the trio of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM)

Recently there is a bit of question on what are the differences among misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, and where COVID deniers and antivaxxers fall. 

But first, let's be clear on the differences. I've personally classified them as:

Misinformation: false information, but the speaker believed it to be true, no ill intent

Example: "COVID is for children is mild like the flu. OMG, a thousand kids have DIED from COVID? I... I didn't know."

Disinformation: false information, but speaker knew to be false, yet without ill intent

Example: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

Malinformation: false information, speaker knew to be false, with ill intent 

Example: Catfishing (romance scams), put up a Craigslist posting of your enemy's address stating "moving out, please take EVERYTHING" causing a mob to ransack the place, SWATing, etc. 

Now that we have gotten definitions out of the way... where do COVID deniers and antivaxxers fall on the scale? 

My personal opinion is they are between misinformation and disinformation. IMHO, most of them have no ill intent (unless they're really Russian or other foreign cyber-op trying to foment trouble) and believe stuff that's not true, or fail to understand proportionality, and tries to maximize the potential harm and minimize the actual benefits of the vaccine, while doing the reverse to the disease: minimize the harm of the disease. 

In terms of COVID, they take the following forms:

* OMG myocarditis risk from vaccines!  (maximize potential harm, refuse to recognize myocarditis risk from the disease itself is worse)

* You can still catch COVID after being 2-jabbed AND boosted (minimize actual benefits, such as minimal chance of hospitalization, and lesser risk of long COVID)

* COVID is mild in children like the flu (minimize disease harm, even though COVID has killed over 1000 kids in 2 years, while flu rarely kills over 200 a year)

However, someone pointed me to a government website that has a somewhat different, and IMHO, more confusing definition: 

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation make up what CISA defines as “information activities”. When this type of content is released by foreign actors, it can be referred to as foreign influence. Definitions for each are below.

Misinformation is false, but not created or shared with the intention of causing harm.

Disinformation is deliberately created to mislead, harm, or manipulate a person, social group, organization, or country.

Malinformation is based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.

Foreign and domestic threat actors use MDM campaigns to cause chaos, confusion, and division. These malign actors are seeking to interfere with and undermine our democratic institutions and national cohesiveness.

From https://www.cisa.gov/mdm#

There is a bit of a problem as there's little if any difference between disinformation and malinformation. The definition seems to imply that disinformation is completely "made up" while malinformation is not, but a good disinformation should be based on SOME facts to be believable.  

I am not sure which definitions I will use at this time, but the finer details does not matter. One needs to point out falsehoods where one sees it. The intention is difficult to infer and mostly irrelevant. 

Astroturfing COVIDiocy: Seems Antivaxxers Submitted 23410 FAKE cases of Myocarditis from COVID vaccines in kids to VAERS

As of December 31st, 2021, there were supposedly 23713 reports of myocarditis in children / young adult after Pfizer vaccines were reported to VAERS. It's interesting that in a majority of cases, no race or ethnicity was listed. 

So a team of pediatricians both in and out of CDC checked every single case. 

Turns out only 303 are real (265 12-15yr old) out of over 27 MILLION doses given out to those age groups during that time. 

Basically, there is no risk at all. Myocarditis occurs at or above this rate without COVID or vaccination. 

You can read their report here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-01-05/02-COVID-Su-508.pdf

Which sort of begs the question... who, besides anti-vaxxers, have time to flood VAERS with 23410 FAKE reports of myocarditis in kids as a side effect of COVID vaccine? 

And did they really think that real doctors would not want to follow up, if there are indeed that many reported problems? 

Who did they think they were fooling? 

Antivax COVIDiocy: How Antivaxxers Argue By Bullshitting with Disinformation

The way antivaxxers argue is by flooding you with disinformation trying to convince you are wrong or you don't know what you're talking about. Don't be fooled. Here's my recent engagement with one such. 

I was replying to The Real Truther who was commenting on some idiotic tweet by Daniel Kotzin about how to get out of the pandemic is to surrender and refuse vaccines. I said it will flood the hospitals like the earliest days of COVID where Wuhan, China ended up a ghost city. 

Then comes Farmer J who claimed natural immunity will be fine, and vaccines are too stupid to handle variants. Which is simply not true, at least not completely true. (Pfizer said 2 shots + booster will handle Omicron, while Moderna said they need another shot)  So I clapped back with facts and logic. 

Farmer J isn't receptive to the truth though, as he replied with irrelevant mentions and derision, continuing to claim "natural immunity" is superior to vaccines. He also claimed some wild time-traveling stuff about Moderna had worked on Omicron for MONTHS when it was discovered in late November (only a few weeks ago)  I replied with facts and citation vaccine immunity is STRONGER than disease-derived immunity. Actual studies say so. 

His reply was somewhat surprising... He claims the study was discredited. Not that he produced any evidence of such. But he goofed, as he just revealed that he is not backed by any facts. He actually used debunked misinformation... that PCR test was ending. It's not. So I called him out on it with proof. 

He had not continued any response to this tweet chain in the past 24 hours. 

From what I can tell, he seems to reside north of the border. Guess he got tired of commenting on snow and such so he replied to stuff he didn't like with lies, backed by even more lies, and just act haughty "lol" every tweet pretending to know more than he does. 

He had used multiple tactics of top bullshitters. He acted arrogantly confident, pointed at his supposed successes ("my natural immunity"), and claimed esoteric knowledge ("this one is mocked") , hoping we wouldn't challenge him. 

It's basically one antivax talking point after another. And if you are not versed in this sort of tactics, and/or be quick on Google and/or understand science, you may be snookered by all that disinformation. 

Don't be a COVIDiot and believe antivaxxer bullshit. 

MAGA COVIDiocy: Pro-Trump Counties Have Far Higher COVID Death Rates

New NPR analysis shows that since May 2021, counties that voted for Trump have a COVID death rate TWICE AS HIGH as counties that voted for Biden on the average. The "most red" counties have a death rate 5.5 times higher than the "most blue" counties. This was a reversal from a year ago, before we have the vaccine, that Democratic counties were hit harder. 

The data is irrefutable: in 2021, Republicans are killing themselves because they rather have "freedom" than treat COVID seriously. 

The trend is also interesting. Early in the pandemic, certain demographics such as African Americans, rural Americans, and younger Americans are vaccine-hesitant, but as the pandemic continued, those groups have started to vaccinate, while Republicans that vaccinate have stalled. According to Kaiser Foundation, 91% of Democrats have been vaccinated against COVID, compared to 59% of Republicans. The polls also revealed that Republicans STILL believe that COVID seriousness was exaggerated, vaccination should be a personal choice, and are NOT worried about getting sick from COVID.

Indeed, antivaxxers are getting DIRECT support from Republican well-knowns... such as Eric Trump, one of Donny's sons, who spoke at such a convention in October. The convention also featured speakers who claimed drinking one's own urine is just as good as a COVID vaccine. Another claimed COVID vaccine will put "another kind of nervous system inside you" and turn you into a cyborg. No, I'm not making this up. It's looney bin stuff. 

Then there are grifters such as Del Bigtree, one of the current top antivaxxers, who find the Dems unreceptive to his antiscience, so he courted the Republicans instead, by his own admission, "Clearly I was shocked as a lifelong liberal progressive that I was hugging and hanging out and having a great time with a bunch of extremely conservative mothers and grandmothers." 

Then there are political manipulators like Roger Stone, convicted felon of lying to Congress about 2016 Trump's campaign contacts with Russia. Stone had been working for Republican candidates for decades, having worked with the Nixon campaign back in 1972. Stone was pardoned by Trump. Stone ALSO spoke at the antivax conference, using the vaccine mandate as a wedge issue, trying to motivate the conservatives to vote in the midterm elections. 

Public health, something to the benefit of all public, is now a political decision to a good portion of the population, who decided not to participate, and this is a truly huge monkeywrench for public health officials who now needs to protect the public from a good portion of the public. 

To put it more succinctly, Republicans are so desperate to win, they are politicizing mask and vaccine mandate, killing their own side by the thousands daily, AND slowing the country's recovery, just to gain some political ground in the short term. 

And even lifelong Republicans are getting alarmed. How did something that benefits all Americans got turned into a Red vs Blue polarization issue? 

The answer is simple: Short-sightedness compounded by grifters and political manipulators who only care about the next election and their own gains. 

There is a real risk that this unholy alliance will DESTROY the Republican party down the road. 

But the antivaxxers will go on. They'll just find some other group to ally with.  

Rich COVIDiocy? Why do the rich and famous seem more vulnerable to crank beliefs such as antivax?

During COVID times, it seems many different celebrities or at least rich and famous people have revealed their antivax views that seem, on the surface, ridiculous, as in "how could they believe that?"  

Nicki Minaj is famous for "my cousin's friend" tweet that claims a non-existent incident of vaccine injury. She is, of course, unvaccinated, and did not attend Met Gala because of that. 

We have Evander Kane of the NHL suspended for 21 games, very likely because he turned in a fake vaccination card to get around the NHL vaccine mandate. 

And now we have Aaron Rodgers of the NFL claiming his homeopathy treatment is as good as COVID vaccination, but caught COVID anyway, AND mislead the public, claiming he was "immunized". 

Now we have to add Steve Kirsch, a tech millionaire who turned antivax when early research on some of the drugs he backed didn't pan out. 

What caused them to make these decisions which to the average Joe, seems irrational? 

What I see are a couple common factors, but it all comes down to money and ego. 

I'm a resurcher (by searching 
on Youtube for what I want to
be true!) credit: reddit.com/r/meme

* They believe they are smart (smarter than they actually are)

Minaj and Rodgers both claimed to have done their own research. 

* They can afford to hire people who agree with them

Rodgers apparently has a "medical team" and his "doctor" prescribed him homeopathic treatments. 

* They see the rules as an affront to their own beliefs

Rodgers had publicly stated that he doesn't believe in NFL/NFLPA's rules on masks and vaccines. 

Kirsch basically went nuts when his medical board urged caution when it came to a new drug that shows some promise for treating COVID (it's NOT what you think it is... it's fluvoxamine). National Institute of Health wanted a bigger study to confirm it, but Kirsch tried to push his board of directors to endorse the drug anyway. The board refused and most resigned, and Kirsch went full antivax after that, decided the world is against him and his beliefs. 

* They believe (with good reason) that they will suffer little to no consequence from their actions

Of the four mentioned, only Kane received punishment. Rodgers is still spewing his views on various talk shows, and Minaj... well, the media seems to have temporarily forgotten about her. Kirsch made himself an outcast but is courting the antivaxxers. 

But that'd only explain the rich and famous... So what made the average suburban soccer mom or marginalized population go antivax? We will discuss that in a future blogpost. 

Sad COVIDiocy: San Francisco Policeman and Antivaxxer Died of COVID

SFPD Chief Bill Scott was sad to announce the passing of Office Jack Nyce, at the age of 47. Nyce was one of the 41 holdouts who refused to abide by the city's COVID vaccine mandate for all city employees by November 1st. Apparently he was diagnosed with COVID in late October and died on November 6th in the hospital. He had been a policeman in San Francisco for more than 17 years. He is survived by his wife and unknown number of children. 

San Francisco Human Resources stated that 98% of all city employees are vaccinated. 

COVIDiocy Mythbuster: Why Do Celebrities Believe Themselves Above Science and Reason?

There are plenty of celebrity goofs about COVID. We've seen Nicki Minaj's COVID debacle and the rise of "My cousin's friend" meme. Trinidad's health minister even spent a full day trying to track down the person... There was no such case. 

But when an NBA star publicly announce that he believes he has natural immunity and refused to get the vaccine, antivaxxers rallied behind him because "freedom!" when his team barred him from practice for refusing the shot. In fact, Kyrie Irving will lose about half of his salary, because Brooklyn Nets have to follow the city mandate of any pro athlete at a public venue needs to be vaccinated, and half of the games are "home" games played in New York. 

And guess what Kyrie said about his decision? 

"It's just about the freedom of what I want to do."

He said he wants to play, but he's not willing to get the shot in order to play. His "freedom" to NOT get the shot is more important to him than playing or helping the team. 

The fact that NBA has so far refused to issue a league-wide player vaccine mandate has left teams confused, as so far, only 3 cities (SF, LA, and NYC) have vaccine mandates that apply to their 5 NBA home teams. And some NBA players have voiced vocal opposition to getting vaxxed... a small minority. According to ESPN, only 10% of players are holding out, and all NBA officials and staff that work with players are required to be vaccinated. 

At least one NBA player in San Francisco has finally gotten vaxxed... because Andrew Wiggins wanted to play more than he wants to hold out over this issue. 

And even Lebron James has gotten the COVID vaccine, after initially refusing. 

NBA so far has only posted that the teams don't have to pay the players who hold out and thus ineligible for playtime, probably afraid of antagonizing the player's union, but that's beyond the scope of this blog post. 

Instead, I'd like to address a different topic...  Andrew Wiggins claimed he already had a bout of minor COVID earlier in the year, and his family is so healthy he doesn't even take OTC medication, which is why he's refusing COVID shots unless he's forced to. In fact, most of the vocal holdouts in NBA claim either they have natural immunity from prior COVID infections, or they question WHY get the vaccine if you can still be infected. 

Let's address both here. 

Is natural immunity a good substitute for vaccine immunity? 

First, let's be accurate. This is not natural immunity. This is disease-derived immunity or post-infection immunity. The person survived the COVID, a disease that kills 1 in 63 infected.So basically, if you chose not to vaccinate, you are risking 1/63 chance of dying outright. 

Second, you can still get COVID, albeit milder symptoms, due to delta and other variants, even after you get vaccinated. This is, in jargon terms, called "breakthrough infection". 

Three, there are three things you don't know about post-infection immunity:

a) more than 1/3rd of COVID cases resulted in NO protective antibodies created. In other words, surviving COVID may not give you ANY immunity at all. 

b) post-infection immunity fades quickly, esp. with mild COVID cases, when compared to vaccine-derived immunity. If it's been months since you last suffered COVID, you may have little to no protection against the delta or later COVID variants. 

c) reinfection rate is HALVED after vaccination for those who survived COVID. That's right, having the jab, even if you survived COVID, makes you HALF as likely of catching COVID again versus without the jab.  

Yet "natural immunity" has been an antivaxxer talking point for decades, as a natural extension of naturalistic fallacy, i.e. "natural is better" (never mind the science). In fact, some antivaxxers started referring themselves as #pureblood after a Tiktok meme gone viral. Never mind the Harry Potter and Nazi Germany references. 

Getting the COVID vaccine has multiple advantages, according to science:

* You don't have to suffer through the illness
* You won't face the 1/63 chance of death
* You get longer-lasting protection 

Yet there are antivaxxer COVIDiots who continue to hold out for no other reason than "freedom!" (from mandates) 

Don't be a COVIDiot who refuse to see reason. 

Also read: Science Based Medicine: Natural Immunity versus the vaccine for COVID-19