Three Doctors Accused of Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation Sue Twitter
Three physicians are suing Twitter for not adhering to its five-strike policy related to COVID-19 misinformation. The physicians in the suit, Robert Malone, MD, Brian Tyson, MD, and Peter McCullough, MD, claim their accounts were permanently suspended or unable to receive verification after posting misleading information about COVID-19.
What they’re seeking: To recoup costs of the lawsuits, have their accounts reactivated, securing the blue verified badge, and any other relief, as determined by the court.
Misleading information policy outlined: One strike is no account-level action, two and three strikes are a 12-hour account lock, four strikes is a 7-day account lock, and five or more strikes is a permanent suspension of the account.
The physicians allege the information they posted about COVID-19 was all truthful.
Aggression Toward Healthcare Providers Common During Pandemic
Verbal and physical violence against healthcare workers has been more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research in Latin America.
Key findings: Fifty-five percent of respondents reported being subject to aggression in of a survey of 3544 healthcare workers in Latin America. The types of abuse included verbal abuse, physical abuse, and microaggressions.
Bigger picture: The research coincides with other findings as well. In a 2021 CMAJ Open study, researchers found that Asian Canadian and Asian America healthcare workers experienced increased discrimination during the pandemic. Women and frontline workers also were more likely to face abuse.
Gender Surgeons on TikTok, Instagram: Appropriate or Not?
Ethical considerations are being raised over plastic surgeons using social media like TikTok to talk about and promote gender reassignment surgery.
The concerns: Surgeons who specialize in gender reassignment surgery raised questions about the appropriateness of promoting the procedures to younger-skewing audiences. They also expressed concerned regarding the tendency of risks being downplayed on social media.
Justification: Surgeons using the platform to talk about gender reassignment surgeries say they do so mainly to connect with patients and educate in a light-hearted way.
“It’s really not…advertising…it’s a community-building platform,” said Tony Mangubat, MD, a Seattle-based plastic surgeon. “If you build community, people will trust you, and if you provide good accurate information, then people will be safer,” he said. But, “I’m not telling them to come to me,” he stressed.
Kaitlin Edwards is a staff medical editor based in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter @kaitmedwards. For more news, follow Medscape on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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