PolitiFact announced its Lie of the Year Wednesday, giving the downplaying and denialism about the coronavirus the dubious distinction.
The fact-checking website specifically noted the efforts of lame duck president Donald Trump as the primary example of this, from his denialism that the coronavirus was a problem to demeaning medical and scientific efforts, including discarding and diminishing the advice of people on his own staff like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Such dismissal of scientific facts and advice has led to the refusal of tens of millions of Americans from adopting public health practices that can help stop the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 300,000 Americans and infected 17 million more.
Countering medical advice, amplifying conspiracy theories and propagating disinformation, starting from Trump to Administration personnel to media personalities, unreasonable caused people to doubt the severity of the virus and the ease of transmission.