Why COVID-19 Misinformation Works
The rampant spread of false information about the coronavirus has been attributed to politicians who have promoted remedies ranging from anti-malarial drugs to herbal drinks. But how humans process knowledge has an important role to play in understanding why so many have bought into these “cures.”
LONDON – At the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro used his allotted time at the podium to recount his views on COVID-19. He extolled the virtues of treatments that have been rejected by scientists and proclaimed that he had benefited from the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine.