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Portland, Maine

UNE’s Jennifer Gunderman discusses COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ as part of Maine Public Health Association panel presentation

Jennifer Gunderman
Jennifer Gunderman, M.P.H.

Jennifer Gunderman, M.P.H., director of the Maine Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and assistant clinical professor of public health at the University of New England, recently presented to the Maine Public Health Association as part of a panel discussion on misinformation about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Gunderman partook in the panel presentation, “Misconceptions in Public Health” on Oct. 16, in which she discussed the COVID-19 “infodemic,” a term describing an outbreak of misinformation about the virus, and how misconceptions around COVID-19 can impact public health work and how to effectively communicate public health messages.

Gunderman was joined by public health consultant Laura Blaisdell, M.D., M.P.H., and John Hagan, chair of the Maine Climate Table, in the discussion moderated by Carol Kelley of Pivot Point, a Portland-based communications firm.

The infodemic related to COVID-19 has spread misinformation about the disease and its transmission, treatment, and prevention, Gunderman said. But, she added, the issue can be addressed by such interventions as targeted public health messaging, reporting misinformation on social media platforms, pushing correct information in timely way, and developing infodemic surveillance systems

Media Contact

Alan Bennett
Office of Communications
abennett11@une.edu

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.