Using search trends to analyze web-based users' behavior profiles connected with COVID-19 in mainland China: infodemiology study based on hot words and Baidu Index.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mainland China, the world's most populous region, experienced a large-scale coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Existing infodemiology studies have primarily concentrated on the prospective surveillance of confirmed cases or symptoms which met the criterion for investigators; nevertheless, the actual impact regarding COVID-19 on the public and subsequent attitudes of different groups towards the COVID-19 epidemic were neglected.

Methods

This study aimed to examine the public web-based search trends and behavior patterns related to COVID-19 outbreaks in mainland China by using hot words and Baidu Index (BI). The initial hot words (the high-frequency words on the Internet) and the epidemic data (2019/12/01-2021/11/30) were mi

SUBMITTER: Jiang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9653070 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature