Title: COVID Infodemic is turning public into Covidiots: What can be done?
Authors: Neeta Kumar (Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia) & Sanjiv Kumar (Chairperson, Indian Academy of Public Health)
Correspondence: Dr. Sanjiv Kumar, New Delhi, Email: drsanjivkumardixit@gmail.com
Citation: Kumar N, Kumar S. 2021. Indian J Comm Health. 33(2):236-238.
Conflict of Interest: None declared.
Publication Details: Received 10/06/2021; Accepted 25/06/2021; Published 30/06/2021
Funding: Nil
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems globally.
Governments and scientific bodies aim to provide authentic information to educate the public on preventative measures.
This is the first pandemic using social media and digital technology as key information sources.
Misinformation: Defined as false or misleading information transmitted without intent to deceive.
With improved access to social media, misinformation spreads rapidly (e.g., Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook).
COVID-19 related mentions vastly surpass those of other diseases (1.1 billion for COVID-19 vs. millions for Ebola, MERS, HIV, and SARS).
Infodemiology: A discipline studying the impact of misinformation during the pandemic.
The Indian Government advised social media to curb misinformation since March 2020.
The exponential user growth on social media (142.2 million in 2015 to 376.1 million in 2020) makes it a prominent information source.
Creates fears, impacting public behavior negatively toward health measures.
Numerous negative events reported due to misinformation, including violence and stigma towards suspected COVID-19 victims.
Media plays a crucial role in empowering public response through accurate information dissemination.
Often comes as baseless claims aiming to mislead or stir controversy.
Details often twisted to support specific narratives, regardless of factual accuracy.
Major social media platforms must be vigilant in controlling false content effectively.
Check the Source: Confirm reputable origin of the information.
Cross-reference: Verify if credible media outlets have reported it.
Evidence Analysis: Look for credible evidence supporting the claims.
Detect Fake Content: Be wary of altered images or misrepresented research.
Plausibility Assessment: Use common sense to evaluate whether information seems believable.
If misinformation is identified, authorities should swiftly provide correct information, applying legal frameworks under the Epidemic Act 1897 and National Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Misinformation significantly harms public health response efforts.
Proactive measures are critical for managing infodemic influences on public behavior and trust in health institutions.
Addressing misinformation is crucial to successful epidemic control strategies.