Evidence from internet search data shows information-seeking responses to news of local COVID-19 cases.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic with community circulation in many countries, including the United States, with confirmed cases in all states. The course of this pandemic will be shaped by how governments enact timely policies and disseminate information and by how the public reacts to policies and information. Here, we examine information-seeking responses to the first COVID-19 case public announcement in a state. Using an event study framework for all US states, we show that such news increases collective attention to the crisis right away. However, the elevated level of attention is short-lived, even though the initial announcements are followed by increasingly strong policy measures. Specifically, searches for "coronavirus" increased by about 36% (95% CI: 27 to 44%) on the d

SUBMITTER: Bento AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7260988 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature