Infodemic: Bolsonaro’s fake Covid graph and forced Sputnik V shots in Russia
Welcome, and a very special greeting to our new subscribers! We are tracking how disinformation is shaping the world during the pandemic. This week, a dangerous new conspiracy in the U.S., Bolsonaro’s Shuttershock presentation, and signs of forced vaccinations in Russia. Here are the narratives — both real and fake — that have caught our attention and deserve yours.
Subscribe to the Infodemic, tracking global Covid-19 disinformation
Iran is in crisis. The nation has been consistently breaking its own records for coronavirus cases and deaths. International sanctions are crippling the economy and hospitals are filling up. On Iranian Twitter, a new hashtag has been doing the rounds: #thereisnoinsulin. The government says sanctions mean that it is struggling to import insulin for diabetics, which was already in limited supply, and local pharmacies are rationing it, while a black market trade has reportedly sprung up.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has a new favorite Covid-19 drug: nitazoxanide, an antiviral, used to treat diarrhea. On Monday, he attended an event at which the science ministry announced results of a clinical trial, with great fanfare but little detail. Twitter users soon noticed an animated chart shown at the event, which mapped a decline without any numbers or labeled axis, and was accompanied by the words: “Scientifically proven to reduce viral load.” After some online investigation, the chart was revealed to be a generic graphic downloaded from Shutterstock. The government now insists it was only used for “illustrative purposes.”
Russia has announced mass production of its Sputnik V vaccine, with plans to produce more than 10 million doses in December alone. Meanwhile, our Russian editor has been speaking to doctors who have been forced to vaccinate themselves with Sputnik V and a Russian-language publication called the Daily Storm has published interviews with students from different universities in Moscow, who say they have been threatened with expulsion if they don’t receive the shot. Vladimir Putin has not yet been vaccinated with Sputnik V. He is still keeping himself safe through some impressively controlled isolation measures.