Due to his professional role in “El reto”, he joined television in 2005 and today is responsible for the health department of Noticias Caracol. Dr. Fernanda talks about COVID-19, which she suffered, and the challenges of the pandemic.
For a month and a half, he found out he had COVID-19. You made yourself known on social networks, with a fairly calm attitude and a serene tone. How was this time, since you received the news so far, that you have already overcome it?
I’ve always been very calm. Not only because I had no serious symptoms, but because I lived the best possible scenario: I did not feel asymptomatic! Due to the randomized test, I found out that I had COVID-19 and was able to isolate myself; otherwise, I would not have noticed. In addition, knowing the facts and probabilities gives you this peace of mind: up to 40% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic carriers (ie people who have the virus but do not develop symptoms, although they can pass on to others one of the big pitfalls they have). This virus brought them to us! Besides, I don’t have comorbidities or risk factors and I also don’t live with vulnerable people, so the outlook has always been favorable.
You are not only a presenter, but also an editor in the health section of Noticias Caracol. How do you discriminate between so much the most relevant and scientifically proven information, especially at this time of so much fake news?
The pandemic has made health a problem for all journalists and non-journalists, because, with its complexity and multiple edges, it has come out of the hands of those of us who have traditionally dedicated ourselves to this source. It must be admitted that this was also an information crisis, among other things, due to the volume and speed with which it spreads. As for the news and information that is within my competence, I look for and check myself. In addition, I have a very wide network of specialists that I consult in certain situations. With the fake news, right now, the same technology makes that essential verification task easier. I consider it a mandatory exercise for those who disseminate and consume information. Contrary to popular belief, fake news is becoming an opportunity for journalism to show its worth.
How is the process of organizing the verified information and choosing the topics to be discussed, especially at this time of a pandemic?
I think that choosing the subjects was one of the biggest challenges, lessons and teachings in a very complex context. In our case, we have an editorial committee for each news item, in which the topics are analyzed and assigned. I participate mainly in the one that corresponds to the lunch news. I think that, as in other aspects, the media were not prepared. This was, without hesitation, a challenge for quality journalism. I am convinced that the only way to make a difference in the midst of so many sources, confusion and this war of misinformation is with rigor, creativity, commitment, ethics and self-regulation. I hope it will pave the way for scientific journalism and take its rightful place.
Your foray into the media has been about participating in your role as a doctor in “Challenge.” Did you hesitate at that time to accept the proposal?
I did not hesitate. Simply when they made my proposal, I said: why not? I must admit that I did it out of curiosity to know a different world than the one I lived in and about which there are many prejudices. But I was not mistaken in accepting the offer. It was an extraordinary experience. It’s fun to look back because I was running away from the rooms. In the few interviews I gave, I was very serious and technical: it makes me laugh to see myself! I couldn’t imagine this going to be my day.
How were your first appearances on TV, already as a medical presenter?
The memory is very clear, as if it were yesterday. The first appearances were to talk about the flu, we were at the peak of respiratory diseases (2005). Everything was new, the problem of time cost me a lot, it seemed the most challenging. How can you talk in a minute and a half about such a broad topic? But I managed to adapt, little by little the capacity for synthesis develops to achieve the most important thing: to have a clear, concise and useful message. I think it was the perfect opportunity my life gave me to do public health. I am convinced that my work, in the media, is another way of making medicines.
What was your most difficult moment to avoid?
Covering what happened with the vaccination against HPV (human papilloma virus) in Carmen de Bolívar was a very difficult and painful time. But the longest and most complex was this pandemic. I often felt frustrated and helpless. I must confess that I cried several times in the beginning. So I had to repeat the words that someone just said to me about Carmen de Bolívar: “A swallow doesn’t make summer.” I understood that I can only contribute with a grain of sand and that I alone cannot change things. That helped me keep going and do my job as best I could.
What objection would I have to the phenomenon of virtuality?
Virtuality is here to stay and transform the way we communicate and interact. I think, without hesitation, that it has enormous advantages, let’s just look at the pandemic. The virus has locked us in our homes, but virtuality has allowed us to stay connected to the world. Of course, it has its weak side. Excessive information, the speed with which they spread (especially erroneous and malicious), the lack of filters to sources and the quality of content become a threat. We cannot eradicate these phenomena, but we can improve the response from different fronts and, of course, by providing the population with more tools for verification, critical thinking, media, digital and information literacy and, in this case, science.
In 2014 he published “Doctor, what do I do?”, A book in which he responds to medical concerns. Are you going to publish another book?
Of course, I always wanted to redo not one, but several books. And especially during this pandemic, I sometimes thought: what happens if I compile the little chapters I write every day? But, as they say, urgency does not leave time for the important ones. Or maybe it’s a lack of discipline. Anyway, I hope I can do it again.