4 ms·

This is one of those completely false things that people only believe is true by repetition. Go back and actually read the full set of WHO statements in mid-Jan

by knzhou 6y ago

This is one of those completely false things that people only believe is true by repetition. Go back and actually read the full set of WHO statements in mid-January. They have a bunch of statements saying there probably is person-to-person transmission, and a bunch saying that specific studies haven’t yet found hard evidence for person-to-person transmission (because at that point most of the cases they’d managed to find were tied to the market). The WHO never, ever said that it can’t be transmitted, and they absolutely never said that people should do nothing about COVID-19. They were urging nations to act for months before they actually did.

triyambakam 6y ago
What is false about this tweet? [1] [1] https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152 https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152
- knzhou 6y ago
  "No clear evidence" uncovered in a "preliminary investigation" was a completely true statement. They never ever said "okay, this definitely isn't transmissible, everybody can ignore it". They said in the early stages that it was too soon to be sure. All the other tweets from this period are saying the same thing: something might be coming, so countries should prepare.
  - triyambakam 6y ago
    I'm moreover pointing out that it isn't clear what YouTube would enforce or not - taken simply, there are a lot of YouTube videos that would have been in conflict with this statement on Twitter. Would they have been taken down?
    - knzhou 6y ago
      I will repeat: they said in the early stages that it was too soon to be sure. All the other tweets from this period are saying the same thing: something might be coming, so countries should prepare. So a video saying that people should prepare would not at all be in contradiction. The kind of misinformation that this measure is aimed at is stuff like saying that it's spread by 5G, or that vitamin C or some random herb cures it, or that drinking bleach or rubbing alcohol will kill it. These are all extremely popular online, and have led to actual deaths.
      - triyambakam 6y ago
        And I'll repeat too - does YouTube gauge their censors against what the WHO tweets?
- jimsmart 6y ago
  What's false here — a logical fallacy — is to attribute that claim to the WHO, and not to the 'preliminary reports' from 'Chinese authorities'. If a newspaper quotes/summarises the words of an MP/celeb, are those the newspaper's views? This tweet clearly states it is the view of a third-party, and that it is based upon preliminary reports, and it is the third-party's findings.
  - james_s_tayler 6y ago
    username checks out
  - triyambakam 6y ago
    I would hope that the WHO only tweets statements that they find credible. Newspapers repeating what a celebrity says feels different
  - 0xy 6y ago
    They claim it was a report for one, and not cover-up propaganda. There was evidence of human-to-human transmission, including evidence delivered to the WHO via Taiwan in December. Then the WHO sought to spread medical misinformation about face masks and travel bans repeatedly into February and March.

by knzhou 6y ago

triyambakam 6y ago

What is false about this tweet? [1] [1] https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152 https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152

knzhou 6y ago
"No clear evidence" uncovered in a "preliminary investigation" was a completely true statement. They never ever said "okay, this definitely isn't transmissible, everybody can ignore it". They said in the early stages that it was too soon to be sure. All the other tweets from this period are saying the same thing: something might be coming, so countries should prepare.
- triyambakam 6y ago
  I'm moreover pointing out that it isn't clear what YouTube would enforce or not - taken simply, there are a lot of YouTube videos that would have been in conflict with this statement on Twitter. Would they have been taken down?
  - knzhou 6y ago
    I will repeat: they said in the early stages that it was too soon to be sure. All the other tweets from this period are saying the same thing: something might be coming, so countries should prepare. So a video saying that people should prepare would not at all be in contradiction. The kind of misinformation that this measure is aimed at is stuff like saying that it's spread by 5G, or that vitamin C or some random herb cures it, or that drinking bleach or rubbing alcohol will kill it. These are all extremely popular online, and have led to actual deaths.
    - triyambakam 6y ago
      And I'll repeat too - does YouTube gauge their censors against what the WHO tweets?
jimsmart 6y ago
What's false here — a logical fallacy — is to attribute that claim to the WHO, and not to the 'preliminary reports' from 'Chinese authorities'. If a newspaper quotes/summarises the words of an MP/celeb, are those the newspaper's views? This tweet clearly states it is the view of a third-party, and that it is based upon preliminary reports, and it is the third-party's findings.
- james_s_tayler 6y ago
  username checks out
- triyambakam 6y ago
  I would hope that the WHO only tweets statements that they find credible. Newspapers repeating what a celebrity says feels different
- 0xy 6y ago
  They claim it was a report for one, and not cover-up propaganda. There was evidence of human-to-human transmission, including evidence delivered to the WHO via Taiwan in December. Then the WHO sought to spread medical misinformation about face masks and travel bans repeatedly into February and March.