COVID-19-Related Rumor Content, Transmission, and Clarification Strategies in China: Descriptive Study.

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 fluctuat

SUBMITTER: Ning P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8709421 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature