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COVID-19-Related Rumor Content, Transmission, and Clarification Strategies in China: Descriptive Study.
Ning, Peishan; Cheng, Peixia; Li, Jie; Zheng, Ming; Schwebel, David C; Yang, Yang; Lu, Peng; Mengdi, Li; Zhang, Zhuo; Hu, Guoqing.
  • Ning P; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Cheng P; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Li J; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Zheng M; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Schwebel DC; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
  • Yang Y; Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
  • Lu P; Department of Sociology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Mengdi L; Department of Sociology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Zhang Z; Department of Sociology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
  • Hu G; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
J Med Internet Res ; 23(12): e27339, 2021 12 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1596466
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Given the permeation of social media throughout society, rumors spread faster than ever before, which significantly complicates government responses to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE:

We aimed to examine the characteristics and propagation of rumors during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and evaluated the effectiveness of health authorities' release of correction announcements.

METHODS:

We retrieved rumors widely circulating on social media in China during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the effectiveness of official government clarifications and popular science articles refuting those rumors.

RESULTS:

We show that the number of rumors related to the COVID-19 pandemic fluctuated widely in China between December 1, 2019 and April 15, 2020. Rumors mainly occurred in 3 provinces Hubei, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. Personal social media accounts constituted the major source of media reports of the 4 most widely distributed rumors (the novel coronavirus can be prevented with "Shuanghuanglian" 7648/10,664, 71.7%; the novel coronavirus is the SARS coronavirus 14,696/15,902, 92.4%; medical supplies intended for assisting Hubei were detained by the local government 3911/3943, 99.2%; asymptomatically infected persons were regarded as diagnosed COVID-19 patients with symptoms in official counts 322/323, 99.7%). The number of rumors circulating was positively associated with the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic (ρ=0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.93). The release of correction articles was associated with a substantial decrease in the proportion of rumor reports compared to accurate reports. The proportions of negative sentiments appearing among comments by citizens in response to media articles disseminating rumors and disseminating correct information differ insignificantly (both correct reports χ12=0.315, P=.58; both rumors χ12=0.025, P=.88; first rumor and last correct report χ12=1.287, P=.26; first correct report and last rumor χ12=0.033, P=.86).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results highlight the importance and urgency of monitoring and correcting false or misleading reports on websites and personal social media accounts. The circulation of rumors can influence public health, and government bodies should establish guidelines to monitor and mitigate the negative impact of such rumors.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: J Med Internet Res Journal subject: Medical Informatics Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 27339

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: J Med Internet Res Journal subject: Medical Informatics Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 27339