ABSTRACT
Considering that the Internet and especially social media work as a locus for the circulation of information on COVID-19, this study aimed to assess the attention given to the vaccine theme on Instagram and Facebook in posts throughout two years of pandemic, identifying the temporality in which discussion about the different immunizing agents in social media and highlighting the actors who permeated the discussions on the subject. Data were collected using the CrowdTangle graphical interface, based on search terms in Portuguese related to vaccines approved for use in Brazil and it included posts from public Facebook pages and open Instagram profiles made from January 1st, 2020, to December 31st, 2021. The database included 3,876,408 posts (2,901,457 on Facebook and 974,952 on Instagram). The results showed an alternation of Pfizer, CoronaVac, AstraZeneca, and Janssen vaccines as the focus of discussion, following the public debate established in the country around the dilemmas and advances related to the development, production, distribution, and application of immunizing agents. References to institutions involved in the acquisition and production of immunizing agents were also identified, such as the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Butantan Institute, and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, present among the thousand social actors that most generated comments from users in both networks. It was evidenced that the debate on immunizing agents, in the analyzed channels and period, was permeated by social media related to journalism and politicians and celebrities' pages and profiles.
Tendo em vista que a Internet e, em especial, as redes sociais funcionam como lócus para a circulação de informações sobre a COVID-19, o objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a atenção dispensada à temática das vacinas no Instagram e Facebook em postagens feitas ao longo de dois anos de pandemia, identificando a temporalidade em que a discussão sobre os diferentes imunizantes nas redes sociais ocorreu e apontando atores que permearam as discussões envolvendo o tema. A coleta de dados foi feita pela interface gráfica do CrowdTangle, a partir de termos de consulta em português relacionados às vacinas aprovadas para uso no Brasil e contemplou postagens de páginas públicas no Facebook e perfis abertos no Instagram feitas de 1º de janeiro de 2020 a 31 de dezembro de 2021. O banco de dados analisado possui 3.876.408 publicações (2.901.457 no Facebook e 974.952 no Instagram). Os resultados evidenciaram uma alternância das vacinas Pfizer, CoronaVac, AstraZeneca e Janssen como foco de discussão, acompanhando temporalmente o debate público que se estabeleceu no país em torno dos dilemas e avanços relativos ao desenvolvimento, à produção, à distribuição e à aplicação dos imunizantes. Também foram identificadas referências às instituições envolvidas na aquisição e produção dos imunizantes, como o Ministério da Saúde, o Instituto Butantan e a Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), presentes entre os mil atores sociais que mais despertaram comentários por parte dos usuários em ambas as redes. Evidenciou-se que o debate sobre imunizantes, nos canais e no período analisados, foi permeado por meios de comunicação ligados ao jornalismo, além de páginas e perfis ligados a políticos e celebridades.
Dado que Internet y, en particular, las redes sociales funcionan como espacios de circulación de la información sobre el COVID-19, el objetivo de este estudio fue verificar la atención prestada al tema de las vacunas en Instagram y Facebook en los posts realizados a lo largo de dos años de pandemia, identificando la temporalidad en que se produjo la discusión sobre los diferentes inmunizantes en las redes sociales y señalando los actores que permeaban las discusiones que involucraban el tema. La recopilación de datos se realizó mediante la interfaz gráfica de CrowdTangle, a partir de términos de consulta en portugués relacionados con las vacunas aprobadas para su uso en Brasil y contempló publicaciones de páginas públicas en Facebook y perfiles abiertos en Instagram realizadas desde el 1º de enero de 2020 hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2021. La base de datos analizada cuenta con 3.876.408 publicaciones (2.901.457 en Facebook y 974.952 en Instagram). Los resultados mostraron una alternancia de las vacunas de Pfizer, CoronaVac, AstraZeneca y Janssen como foco de discusión, siguiendo temporalmente el debate público que se estableció en el país en torno a los dilemas y avances relacionados con el desarrollo, la producción, la distribución y la aplicación de los inmunizantes. También se identificaron referencias a instituciones involucradas en la adquisición y producción de inmunizantes, como el Ministerio de Salud de Brasil, el Instituto Butantan y la Fundación Oswaldo Cruz, presentes entre los mil actores sociales que más despertaron comentarios de los usuarios en ambas redes. Fue evidente que el debate sobre los inmunizadores, en los canales y período analizados, estuvo permeado por medios vinculados al periodismo, además de páginas y perfiles vinculados a políticos y celebridades.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Social Media , Vaccines , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Pandemics/prevention & control , Brazil/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Background: Incidence rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections in low-resource communities can inform vaccination strategies and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Our objective was to estimate incidence over four epidemic waves in a slum in Rio de Janeiro, a proxy for economically deprived areas in the Global South. Methods: Prospective cohort of children and household contacts screened for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR and serology (IgG). The incidence density of PCR positive infections estimated for each wave - the first wave, Zeta, Gamma and Delta - was compared to an index combining NPIs and vaccination coverage. Findings: 718 families and 2501 individuals were enrolled, from May 2020 to November 2021. The incidence density of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to the first wave was 2, 3 times that of the other waves. The incidence among children was lower than that of older participants, except in later waves, when vaccination of the elderly reached 90%. Household agglomeration was significantly associated with incidence only during the first wave. Interpretation: The incidence of infection greatly exceeded rates reported in similar cohorts. The observed reduction in incidence in the elderly during the Delta variant wave, in spite of the rollback of NPIs, can be attributed to increased vaccine coverage. The high incidence in young people reinforces the importance of vaccination in this age group, a policy that has yet to receive the full support of some sectors of society. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, Foundation for the Advancement of Science of the State of Rio de Janeiro, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in a vulnerable population of children and their household contacts. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) immunoglobulin G serology tests were performed in children and their household contacts after enrollment during primary health care clinic visits. Participants were followed prospectively with subsequent specimens collected through household visits in Manguinhos, an impoverished urban slum (a favela) in Rio de Janeiro at 1, 2, and 4 weeks and quarterly post study enrollment. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-seven participants from 259 households were enrolled from May to September 2020. This included 323 children (0-13 years), 54 adolescents (14-19 years), and 290 adults. Forty-five (13.9%) children had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction. SARS-CoV-2 infection was most frequent in children aged <1 year (25%) and children aged 11 to 13 years (21%). No child had severe COVID-19 symptoms. Asymptomatic infection was more prevalent in children aged <14 years than in those aged ≥14 years (74.3% and 51.1%, respectively). All children (n = 45) diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection had an adult contact with evidence of recent infection. CONCLUSIONS: In our setting, children do not seem to be the source of SARS-CoV-2 infection and most frequently acquire the virus from adults. Our findings suggest that, in settings such as ours, schools and child care potentially may be reopened safely if adequate COVID-19 mitigation measures are in place and staff are appropriately immunized.