Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
KevinMD
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking
KevinMD
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking
  • About KevinMD | Kevin Pho, MD
  • Be heard on social media’s leading physician voice
  • Contact Kevin
  • Discounted enhanced author page
  • DMCA Policy
  • Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices
  • Group vs. individual disability insurance for doctors: pros and cons
  • KevinMD influencer opportunities
  • Opinion and commentary by KevinMD
  • Physician burnout speakers to keynote your conference
  • Physician Coaching by KevinMD
  • Physician keynote speaker: Kevin Pho, MD
  • Physician Speaking by KevinMD: a boutique speakers bureau
  • Primary care physician in Nashua, NH | Doctor accepting new patients
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recommended services by KevinMD
  • Terms of Use Agreement
  • Thank you for subscribing to KevinMD
  • Thank you for upgrading to the KevinMD enhanced author page
  • The biggest mistake doctors make when purchasing disability insurance
  • The doctor’s guide to disability insurance: short-term vs. long-term
  • The KevinMD ToolKit
  • Upgrade to the KevinMD enhanced author page
  • Why own-occupation disability insurance is a must for doctors

Omicron and misinformation: When will we learn from past mistakes?

Tomi Mitchell, MD
Physician
December 15, 2021
Share
Tweet
Share

Did anyone else’s heart sink when you heard about the new COVID variant? Mine sure did. I wasn’t surprised when I heard the news. I felt numb as I know we are in for a challenging period, partially because the colder months are quickly approaching and Omicron has already been identified in numerous countries globally. Echoing the words of a science-fiction movie, “the alien(variant) in amongst us” resonated with many people.

Fraudulent individuals like Dr. Wakefield’s damage against vaccinations is still felt over 20 years later. Despite not having social media to spread his agenda quickly, his legacy continues. Fast forward to the present, with the ability for content to go viral in just minutes, false information is dangerous. We have a mixture of individuals with prestigious degrees, and those without a high school diploma are sprouting countless unfounded details; it is becoming harder even for the most discerning individuals to figure out the truth.

In my article July 2021 article, “Please join me and respectfully fight COVID misinformation,” I wrote the following:

My friends who are reading this, my colleagues in the medical professions, my fellow civilians of this planet, please heed my words. This pandemic is far from over. As long continue to battle with misinformation, ignorance, and frankly selfishness, this pandemic will take a life of its own. The challenge is people think that they can go online and earn their “medical degree” and become “acclaimed scientists” in just a short amount of time.

This battle is far from over, and I stand by my original words. Omicron is amongst us, and there are many holes in our global defense of this pandemic. So many countries didn’t have access to vaccinations, as wealthier countries arguably stockpiled on the vaccinations, leaving many struggling countries vulnerable. So many countries do not even have access to the basics of human survival. This is not acceptable.

I have heard people say that the “vaccine agenda causes many of these diseases.” I beg to differ. Until, as a world, we learn to share resources and work to reduce the gaps between the have and have nots, the problems we are seeing will continue. Until health care decisions are not made based on political motivation or financial motivations, globally, we will do better. Until the world embraces holistic care, where everyone has personal responsibilities, as well as a societal responsibility, the situation we are in will continue to escalate. A healthier world with has a focus on preventative care would be key to us moving past COVID-19 and beyond.

Tomi Mitchell, a family physician and founder of Dr. Tomi Mitchell Holistic Wellness Strategies, is not only a distinguished international keynote speaker but also a passionate advocate for mental health and physician’s well-being, hosting her podcast, The Mental Health & Wellness Show. With over a decade of experience in presenting, public speaking, and training, she excels in creating meaningful connections with her audience. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and book a discovery call.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Genetic testing's emotional impact [PODCAST]

December 14, 2021 Kevin 0
…
Next

Leaving clinical medicine without regrets

December 15, 2021 Kevin 4
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease

< Previous Post
Genetic testing's emotional impact [PODCAST]
Next Post >
Leaving clinical medicine without regrets

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Tomi Mitchell, MD

  • Physician wellness is not yoga: Why resilience training fails

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • The elephant in the room: Why physician burnout is a relationship problem

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • The 3 E’s: a physician-created framework for healing burnout

    Tomi Mitchell, MD

Related Posts

  • Why travel bans in response to Omicron are harmful

    Michelle Verghese
  • What medicine can learn from a poem

    Thomas L. Amburn
  • Is misinformation deadlier than the virus?

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Structure case conferences as a primary way to teach and learn

    Robert Centor, MD
  • What medical students can learn from astronauts

    Denzil Mathew
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD

More in Physician

  • Surgical practice efficiency: How to fix a broken system

    Paul Toomey, MD
  • Future of AI in medicine: Will algorithms replace doctors?

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • The hidden cost of medical board regulation and prosecutorial overreach

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Agentic AI: the key to saving annual preventive exams

    Sara Pastoor, MD
  • Reviewing locum tenens agreements: Look beyond the hourly rate

    Sriman Swarup, MD, MBA
  • Physician burnout: Finding peace in a broken health care system

    Jessica Singh, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Menstrual health in medicine: Addressing the gender gap in care

      Cynthia Kumaran | Conditions
    • Single-payer health care vs. market-based solutions: an economic reality check

      Allan Dobzyniak, MD | Policy
    • When the doctor becomes the patient: a breast cancer journey

      Amy E. Sanders, MD | Conditions
    • Waiting for the system to change causes burnout [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The honest broker in pediatrics: Building the medical home

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Physician
    • ATTR-CM screening: the missing link in heart failure diagnosis

      Radhesh K. Gupta | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Missed diagnosis visceral leishmaniasis: a tragedy of note bloat

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Conditions
    • Alex Pretti: a physician’s open letter defending his legacy

      Mousson Berrouet, DO | Physician
    • Health care as a human right vs. commodity: Resolving the paradox

      Timothy Lesaca, MD | Physician
    • The American Board of Internal Medicine maintenance of certification lawsuit: What physicians need to know

      Brian Hudes, MD | Physician
    • Why voicemail in outpatient care is failing patients and staff

      Dan Ouellet | Tech
    • AI-enabled clinical data abstraction: a nurse’s perspective

      Pamela Ashenfelter, RN | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Managing celiac disease: Overcoming the hidden social burden

      Kamiah Gibson | Conditions
    • Military leadership lessons for the U.S. health care crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Conditions
    • Surgical practice efficiency: How to fix a broken system

      Paul Toomey, MD | Physician
    • Value-based care workforce: Bridging the gap in clinical education

      Kenneth Botelho, DMSc, PA-C | Policy
    • The death of private practice: unequal pay and hospital power

      John C. Hagan III, MD | Policy
    • Curing U.S. health care: Why a fair health tax is the answer

      Kevin | Policy

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Menstrual health in medicine: Addressing the gender gap in care

      Cynthia Kumaran | Conditions
    • Single-payer health care vs. market-based solutions: an economic reality check

      Allan Dobzyniak, MD | Policy
    • When the doctor becomes the patient: a breast cancer journey

      Amy E. Sanders, MD | Conditions
    • Waiting for the system to change causes burnout [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The honest broker in pediatrics: Building the medical home

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Physician
    • ATTR-CM screening: the missing link in heart failure diagnosis

      Radhesh K. Gupta | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Missed diagnosis visceral leishmaniasis: a tragedy of note bloat

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Conditions
    • Alex Pretti: a physician’s open letter defending his legacy

      Mousson Berrouet, DO | Physician
    • Health care as a human right vs. commodity: Resolving the paradox

      Timothy Lesaca, MD | Physician
    • The American Board of Internal Medicine maintenance of certification lawsuit: What physicians need to know

      Brian Hudes, MD | Physician
    • Why voicemail in outpatient care is failing patients and staff

      Dan Ouellet | Tech
    • AI-enabled clinical data abstraction: a nurse’s perspective

      Pamela Ashenfelter, RN | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Managing celiac disease: Overcoming the hidden social burden

      Kamiah Gibson | Conditions
    • Military leadership lessons for the U.S. health care crisis

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Conditions
    • Surgical practice efficiency: How to fix a broken system

      Paul Toomey, MD | Physician
    • Value-based care workforce: Bridging the gap in clinical education

      Kenneth Botelho, DMSc, PA-C | Policy
    • The death of private practice: unequal pay and hospital power

      John C. Hagan III, MD | Policy
    • Curing U.S. health care: Why a fair health tax is the answer

      Kevin | Policy

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today

Copyright © 2026 KevinMD.com | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme

  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...