Analyse
The **exact phrasing**—including the term *infodemic*—was used by Tedros in his **February 15, 2020, speech** at the Munich Security Conference, as recorded in **official WHO transcripts** and **media reports** (e.g., *Reuters*, *The Guardian*). The comparison of misinformation’s spread to the virus itself was a **central theme in WHO communications** during early 2020, supported by studies (e.g., *Nature Human Behaviour*, 2020) showing false claims about COVID-19 outpaced factual information on social media. While the *danger equivalence* is subjective, the WHO consistently framed misinformation as a **major public health threat** during the pandemic.
Achtergrond
The term *infodemic* was **coined by the WHO** in early 2020 to describe the overabundance of information—some accurate, some false—during the COVID-19 outbreak, which hindered effective response efforts. Tedros repeatedly warned about its impact, including in a **February 2020 WHO briefing** where he emphasized the need to combat 'fake news' alongside the virus. This rhetoric reflected broader concerns about **social media amplification of health misinformation**, later quantified in research (e.g., *MIT Sloan*, 2018) showing false news spreads **6x faster** than truth.
Samenvatting verdict
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did make this statement at the **2020 Munich Security Conference**, and the claim about misinformation spreading rapidly alongside COVID-19 aligns with documented trends and WHO messaging at the time.