Flawed public health messages must end if we are to defeat 'infodemic'

With the worlds of public and private health now closer than at any time in living memory, getting the message right is more important than ever, writes Fergus Shanahan

People attend an anti-mask protest at Custom House in Dublin on October 3. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Words matter. Language gaps between doctors and patients are a health hazard. 

Similarly, misuse of language leads to flawed logic and ineffective public health messages. Our thoughts are shaped by words, and language influences logic, decisions, actions, and public policy.