Health Navigator counters false online coronavirus advice

The New Zealand-based health literacy website Health Navigator provides accurate and up-to-date information for consumers about the 2019-CoV coronavirus.

Clinical director and CEO Dr Janine Bycroft says that an unfortunate aspect of an infectious disease outbreak is the rapid dissemination of bogus health information.

“Health Navigator counters this by distilling the vast amount of accurate, evidence-based information provided by reputable health organisations, such as the Ministry of Health, Auckland Regional Public Health Services and the World Health Organization, into easy-to-read content for ordinary New Zealanders.”

The website also adds other resources, such as videos and brochures and, wherever possible, includes those in other languages spoken in New Zealand.

Dr Bycroft suggests that New Zealand media could help to minimise the effect of fake health advice about the current novel coronavirus by linking to relevant pages on the Health Navigator website at the end of articles.

These links include the following:

• Coronavirus
• Coronavirus outbreak 2020 – what you need to know
• Becoming ill after arriving in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Self-isolation
• What is self-isolation? (video)
• Coronavirus videos
• Hand washing

The Health Navigator website has official endorsement from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP). It also has a Health on the Net (HON) certificate, which provides an independent guarantee that this health website, at the date of its certification, complies with and pledges to honour the eight principles of the HON Code of Conduct as drawn up by the HON Foundation.

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