On December 2019, NoRumourHealth project started. We envisioned our project to be a continuous path which would allow us to provide the elderly with tools to discern health misinformation. We had planned several workshops to design these tools through a co-creative experience, the NoRumourHealth team and the elderly. This was a joint path in which the consortium and elderly could enrich each other and create tools with and for them.

However, a zoonosis was produced. That is to say, a virus jumped from animals to humans putting all humankind at risk. As most diseases, this virus affected in a greater way the elderly, the target group of our project was suddenly the major target of the virus. Societies closed themselves at home in order to protect them and other vulnerable groups, as well as to avoid the collapse of our health system.

 As most diseases, this virus affected in a greater way the elderly, the target group of our project was suddenly the major target of the virus

At the same time, an infodemic started, a huge amount of misinformation started to infect all our social media. All over the world conspiracy theories, political attacks, and health misinformation, among others, are continuously shared. The uncertainty of the first pandemics of our century and, for most of us, of our lives, propelled a drive of misinformation.

As specialists in health-related misinformation and science and health communication, we could not let this phenomenon continue. This is why, a partner of the consortium, SaludSinBulos, has been working hard to debunk COVID-19 misinformation, while the coordinator, ScienceFlows, started a project to analyse hoaxes and fake news related to this new disease.

Now, more than ever, we need to work towards the protection of the elderly. Drastic amounts of misinformation is being shared through different social media, by word of mouth, and even, traditional media. Some of the examples are remedies with no working proof, some that can even be dangerous for our health, treatments that have not been approved and miraculous diets that could protect us from being infected.

Now, more than ever, we need to work towards the protection of the elderly. Drastic amounts of misinformation is being shared through different social media

From NoRumourHealth, we want to be an active part of the empowerment of the elderly to take decisions related to their health. We are back again, present in the social media to introduce you to all of our progress on this project and help you to think critically through the messages you are receiving.

At this moment, we have designed the main features of the app and we are working on its content, which will be related to COVID-19 but also with the most asked common health questions, like the possibility of curing cancer with certain food products (of which there is no proof). Since we will not be able to carry out the workshops as planned, we are going to start to create an on-line community so we can work with all of you in the design of the application. The elderly will be the final users of this free app and the on-line modules we are also preparing, so we want to be sure you find it user friendly.
Would you like to join us?