A new infodemiological approach through Google Trends: longitudinal analysis of COVID-19 scientific and infodemic names in Italy.

ABSTRACT: The scientific community has classified COVID-19 as the worst pandemic in human history. The damage caused by the new disease was direct (e.g., deaths) and indirect (e.g., closure of economic activities). Within the latter category, we find infodemic phenomena such as the adoption of generic and stigmatizing names used to identify COVID-19 and the related novel coronavirus 2019 variants. These monikers have fostered the spread of health disinformation and misinformation and fomented racism and segregation towards the Chinese population. In this regard, we present a comprehensive infodemiological picture of Italy from the epidemic outbreak in December 2019 until September 2021. In particular, we propose a new procedure to examine in detail the web interest of users in scientific and infodem

SUBMITTER: Rovetta A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8801192 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature