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Moderators of Covid-19 Survivor Groups Say Keeping Up With Misinformation Is a Nightmare
But for many, these groups are their only link to others who have had the virus
Mike Cherim has never had Covid-19 himself. No one in his inner circle of family and friends has come down with the virus. But the 58-year-old New Hampshire resident serves as the administrator of Covid-19 Support Group, a Facebook group with more than 12,000 members, many who have the virus or have recovered from it.
Cherim never meant to become a moderator of sensitive health information. A justice of the peace in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region who also runs a mountain guiding agency, he has no experience as a therapist, a medical professional, or a counselor. Regardless, he started the Facebook group back in late March, a day before New Hampshire issued its stay-at-home order and Cherim was forced to shut down his business. At the time, he was hoping to create a space for a wider audience, including people who were out of work, friends or family members of Covid-19 patients, and those struggling from social isolation.
“But somehow or another, it became a group for people who are suffering from Covid-19,” he says. Which is why Cherim, who used to mainly officiate weddings, now spends his mornings poring…
