The Infodemic of COVID-19

Abstract

While the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic remains centered around the great strides made in fields of biotechnology and epidemiology, an epidemic of misinformation and growing skepticism of the scientific community rages beneath the surface. Almost understandably so, in an unprecedented time of change riddled with fear and a sense of loss, people turn to thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that sometimes do more to impede the return to normalcy that we all crave. Reports that were particularly prevalent during the early pandemic response, including those of individuals refusing to wear masks in public spaces or anti-lockdown rallies throughout North America, only spurred further confusion and divisive sentiments on both sides [1]. While these events may point towards a lack of clear communication and mixed messaging from authority figures in the early response, a culture of inherent skepticism, particularly on social media, continues to be pervasive. With hopes of a global re-opening riding on the current vaccine rollout, widespread acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines remains essential to achieving herd immunity and ultimately curbing the spread of the virus. However, marginalized and underrepresented groups in North America that have been most heavily affected by the pandemic are also often those who are most distrustful of the medical system [2,3].

Keywords

• Health misinformation
• social media
• COVID-19