Essay: COVID-19 Infodemic on Social Media: Maintaining Trust in a Time of Panic

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic (1). Since it was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019, it has now nearly 3 million confirmed cases and 202,597 deaths affecting more than 200 countries and territories around the world and 1 international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise). The United States of America (USA), Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom are among the countries with highest number of confirmed cases (2). As the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases continues to grow, various information about COVID-19 has also become the mainstream of news in various media, including social media. However, unlike mass media whose information tends to be filtered before broadcasting, social media does not recognize filtering and anyone can be a news maker as long as they have a device connected to the internet.
According to the 2020 Global Digital Report, currently more than 5.19 billion people are using mobile phones, 4.5 billion people using the internet and 3.8 billion people using social media. That means almost 60% of the world’s population is connected to the internet and it is estimated that social media users will be more than half the world’s population by the middle of this year. (3). Meanwhile, the GlobalWebIndex 2020 report on the latest trends in social media reveals that 63% of global internet users said that they are constantly connected to the internet. They spent at least an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes per day to access social networks and messaging apps. Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter are among the world’s most-used social platforms. TikTok are also becoming more popular among young people especially generation Z or millennial (4).
Infodemic, as it is termed by WHO, is an over-abundance of information, some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it (5). Misleading rumors and conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID-19 circulated rapidly, causing panic in the community. Thus, WHO Director General Dr. Tedros called this the battle against “troll and conspiracy theories”. Incorrect information causes confusion and fears, thus hindering the response to the outbreak. “Misinformation about coronaviruses might be the most contagious thing about it,” he said (6). In addition to addressing the urgent need to increase public health efforts in combating the outbreak, the panic pandemic on social media also needs to be fought in the right way so that people’s trust is maintained (7).
The difference that we face today compared to the previous outbreaks is that the mobile phones and internet were not widely used yet in the past. Now, with such a large number of internet users, the use of digital technology for health and wellbeing is expected to reach more people effectively and efficiently. Especially during the COVID-19 outbreaks which the virus can be transmitted quickly, physical contact between humans must be limited. Providing information through social media and providing health services via the internet is the safest way.
The use of social media and online service has been used by several countries. The Chinese government actively used various tele-mental health services during the COVID-19 outbreak. These services come from government and academic agencies and include counselling, supervision, training, and educational training through online platforms (e.g. hotline, WeChat and Tencent QQ). Tele-mental health services are prioritized for people who are at high risk of COVID-19 exposure, such as frontline clinics, patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and their families, police and security guards (8). A recent report also shows how medical staff, patients with COVID-19, students and the general public in Hubei province and other provinces in China actively seek online help to address their mental needs, illustrating their interest and acceptance of online services (9).
The Australian Government has also created an online service program that allows wider range for telehealth services provided, including consultation with general practitioners and specialists. However, this program is still limited to groups with special needs. Simple communication via email and SMS should also be used more broadly to share information about symptoms of psychological disorders during the COVID-19 outbreak and to encourage access to online self-help programs. For COVID-19 patients, telehealth can also be used to monitor symptoms and provide support when they need it (8).
A current report in Taiwan proposes that the government or policy makers can also use Google Search Trend to monitor the anxiety that occurs in the community, so that the message delivered will be more targeted (10). If that can be done, then monitoring public anxiety on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter might also be possible. Public rumours, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours regarding COVID-19 must be detected quickly. Then, those kind of information need to be analysed based on place (geocoded tweets/messages) and time (timestamped tweets/messages) so that interactive platform and dashboard which provide real-time maps can be created (6).
Such real time maps from social media could be used to develop communication strategies by public health officials or relevant stakeholders in national and local level. This is especially important in countries where people still have low levels of health literacy. In addition, multi-language approach must be taken since the COVID-19 spreads not only in urban areas but also in rural areas. Some countries not only have official national language but also has local or traditional languages besides also considering the use of foreign languages that can be understood by foreigners who settled there. Then such data must continue to be monitored to see the development of citizen panic and assess the success of the communication efforts that have been made.
Active and productive involvement between the government and the general public plays a very important role during the outbreak (11). We may also need to engage bloggers, vloggers and influencers to counter misinformation and campaign the right information to the public. Messages that are easily understood and conveyed by influential people will be easily accepted by the public.