The COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’

The coronavirus pandemic is unique in the sense that for the first time in history digital technology has played a vital role during a health crisis on this scale. The internet has kept the world informed of updates and the latest advice almost instantaneously. Whilst lockdown procedures have been in place, people around the world have been able to conduct their lives from electronic devices. We have been able to order food, stay connected to loved ones and keep ourselves entertained, all via the wonders of technology. However, the darker side of this technology, in particular, platforms such as social media, is that misinformation spreads at an alarming rate, many dubbing this ‘infodemic’ it as a secondary plague, which is responsible for taking many lives.

The World Health Organization has defined an infodemic as thus: ‘An infodemic is an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals. Mis- and disinformation can be harmful to people’s physical and mental health; increase stigmatization; threaten precious health gains; and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries’ ability to stop the pandemic.’ Going onto state that this level of misinformation costs lives, as people fail to trust information, public healthcare guidance will be ignored and the disease will spread more easily.

The rise of misinformation is not a new concept. Studies have shown that fake news often spreads faster and more easily than the truth. Focusing on Twitter, In 2018, a study by MIT Scientists, published in Science, found that ‘a false story is much more likely to go viral than a real story, the authors find. A false story reaches 1,500 people six times quicker, on average, than a true story does. And while false stories outperform the truth on every subject—including business, terrorism and war, science and technology, and entertainment—fake news about politics regularly does best,’ The Atlantic reported.

The Coronavirus pandemic is not the first serious global issue to battle against misinformation either, as National Geographic writes: ‘For years, [climate scientists] have been trying to convey the findings from a ceaseless stream of studies showing the world is warming, while combating misinterpretations and outright fake news. A similar infodemic—a surplus of information both legitimate and misinformed—now plagues the COVID-19 outbreak.’

Some causes of misinformation are steeped in political agenda. Studies have found that people are more likely to accept misinformation on COVID-19 (and climate change) often links to political affiliation. In April 2020, a study of COVID-19 misinformation from Oxford University found that the majority of COVID-19 falsehoods is spread by social media users, and whilst only making up 20% of the claims in the sample, they accounted for 69% of social media engagement.

Leadership is a huge influencer on public opinion and what people do and do not believe and as many highly-regarded journals have underlined, some elected officials are partly responsible for disseminating misinformation. Medical Journal The Lancet pointed specifically at the presidents of the USA and Brazil, writing:

‘Misrepresentations from these public figures have included trivializing the risks of COVID-19, equating COVID-19 with seasonal influenza, questioning the effectiveness of mitigation and control measures (eg, the use of masks), promoting unproven treatments (eg, hydroxychloroquine), contradicting public health experts (even those from their own administrations), and politicizing the vaccine development that is essential to the ultimate control of the pandemic.’

National Geographic stated ‘a number of polls and think tank research show an overwhelming majority of Democrats are more likely to take COVID-19 seriously, wear masks, and social distance, while a minority of Republicans are likely to do the same. This political polarization was an “avoidable tragedy,” [John Cook, a communications expert at George Mason University] says, pointing to President Donald Trump’s early and persistent dismissal of wearing masks and social distancing as major factors driving today’s partisan divide.’

A recent study from Cornell University of 38 million articles published in English-language media, found 1.1 million news articles that reported misinformation on the coronavirus pandemic. The study entitled: Quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ stated: ‘One major finding is that media mentions of President Trump within the context of different misinformation topics made up 37% of the overall “misinformation conversation,” much more than any other single topic. The study concludes that Donald Trump was likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation “infodemic.”’ The topics covered in misinformation was overwhelmingly, Miracle Cures, followed in decreasing engagement by: New World Order, Democratic Party Hoax, Wuhan Lab/Bioweapon, Bill Gates, 5G technology, Antisemetic Conspiracies, Polyation Control, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Plandemic and Bat soup.