CovidHUB is an online platform that aims to condense information from several official platforms such as NASA's databases, as well as from the CDC (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”), since the new SARS-CoV pandemic -2 has been responsible for a great discussion of information, both in traditional and digital media available around the world. As such, it is a validating tool for data about the pandemic, in addition to promoting easy access by governmental and non-governmental bodies, universities, hospitals and journalistic editorials to this information. With this, when the application was installed, its main objective would be to make life easier for its users, who when accessing CovidHUB would enjoy true news and information, in addition to scientifically validated and corroborated research. In addition to having access to truthful information, users can resolve their doubts and share true information. Therefore, it is an important tool in combating misinformation and false news.
Is the project realistic in technological and scientific terms?
CovidHUB is very pragmatic, the technology used is very accessible to users of the application, since it can be installed on the phone, and because it condenses scientific data from existing platforms and proven reliability, it is a realistic project.
The inspiration behind the choice of this challenge was the negative impacts that misinformation and false news can cause, such as compromising medical care (1), in addition to information notifying a series of invalid and unsubstantiated treatments (3). In addition, they are disseminators of insecurity and fear in the population, which can contribute to obstructing the service to combat the coronavirus by the agents responsible for combating it; thus using more effort to eradicate the high amount of fake news that has been circulating on social networks
Faced with this very serious problem, the CovidHUB project was conceived from the insertion of data present in the NASA database, which are: SEDAC Global COVID-19 Viewer.
The main problems that the team faced in the construction of the project were related to the large amount of information about Covid-19, as well as to do a condensation and treatment of all this truthful information for NASA.
DW NEWS. Fake news hinder doctors amid the pandemic. Available at: https://www.dw.com/pt-br/fake-news-atrapalham-m%C3%A9dicos-em-meio-%C3%A0-pandemia/a-53575486. Accessed on: 31 may. 2020.
JÚNIOR, J. H. D. S. et al. FROM DISINFORMATION TO CHAOS: AN ANALYSIS OF FAKE NEWS IN FRONT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (COVID-19) IN BRAZIL. Prospecting notebooks, Salvador, v. 13, n. 2, p. 331-346, abr./2020. Available at: <https://portalseer.ufba.br/index.php/nit/article/view/35978>. Accessed on: 31 may. 2020.
STATE OF MINAS - INTERNATIONAL. Two studies attest to the ineffectiveness of hydroxychloroquine against the coronavirus. Available at: https://www.em.com.br/app/noticia/internacional/2020/05/14/interna_internacional,1147479/dois-estudos-atestam-ineficacia-de-cloroquina-contr-o-coronavirus.shtml . Accessed on: 31 may. 2020.