From the desk of Dr. Gupta 06 01 2021

From the desk of Dr. Gupta   Coronavirus has been one of the most challenging stories to report in my 20 years here at CNN. We were dealing with a brand-new virus that suddenly impacted the entire world, making our audience hungrier for information than ever.   I’ve described it as trying to drink out of a fire hose when it comes to the information we were trying to process and share with you all. There’s no denying it was confusing, with ever-evolving science and continuously changing guidelines. And I know the spread of misinformation made it even harder.   In fact, a recent study found as many 3 in 4 Americans overestimate their ability to identify fake news. Around 90% of participants in a study told researchers they believed they were above average when it came to identifying fake stories, but when it came down to it, the majority weren’t as good as they thought they were.   And the worse they were at it, the more likely they were to share fake news, the researchers found.   It's disturbing to know how good fake news stories have become at impersonating factual reporting, especially during a time where we are already combating an aggressive anti-vaccine movement.   We need as many people to get vaccinated as possible, and every drop of misinformation can hurt that effort -- so let’s all remember to stay diligent when it comes to the information we are reading and sharing.

 

Matters of the Heart: Heart disease remains the most common cause of death in the United States, and yet it is largely preventable. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shares his own family history of heart disease and talks with cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy about what we can do to keep our hearts healthy, even if our genes make us more disposed to heart issues. And cardiologist Dr. Haider Warraich tells the story of one woman who fought against gender bias to change the way the medical community treats heart attacks. Listen here