The COVID misinfodemic: not new, never more lethal

‘Infodemia’ is a portmanteau between ‘information’ and ‘epidemics’, referring to wide and rapid accumulation and dissemination of information, misinformation, and disinformation about a given subject, such as a disease. As facts, rumors and fears mix and disperse, the misinfodemic creates loud background noise, preventing the general public from discerning between accurate and false information. We compared and contrasted key elements of the AIDS and COVID-19 misinfodemics, to identify common features, and, based on experience with the AIDS pandemic, recommend actions to control and reverse the SARS-CoV-2 misinfodemic that contributed to erode the trust between the public and scientists and governments and has created barriers to control of COVID-19. As pandemics emerge and evolve, providing robust responses to future misinfodemics must be a priority for society and public health.