Abstract
COVID-19 has had broad disruptive effects on economies, healthcare systems, governments, societies, and individuals. Uncertainty concerning the scale of this crisis has given rise to countless rumors, hoaxes, and misinformation. Much of this type of conversation and misinformation about the pandemic now occurs online and in particular on social media platforms like Twitter. This study analysis incorporated a data-driven approach to map the contours of misinformation and contextualize the COVID-19 pandemic with regards to socio-religious-political information. This work consists of a combined system bridging quantitative and qualitative methodologies to assess how information-exchanging behaviors can be used to minimize the effects of emergent misinformation. The study revealed that the social media platforms detected the most significant source of rumors in transmitting information rapidly in the community. It showed that WhatsApp users made up about 46% of the source of rumors in online platforms, while, through Twitter, it demonstrated a declining trend of rumors by 41%. Moreover, the results indicate the second-most common type of misinformation was provided by pharmaceutical companies; however, a prevalent type of misinformation spreading in the world during this pandemic has to do with the biological war. In this combined retrospective analysis of the study, social media with varying approaches in public discourse contributes to efficient public health responses.
Highlights
Social media screening for public health has emerged as an essential component in combating the COVID-19 pandemic
A timely public health response to any emerging concern during pandemics can limit the spread of misinformation and prevent public panic; social media present a rich source of information that should be harnessed to support the public health response during pandemics, as they provide real-time access to community beliefs [14]
Regarding the first research question, the narrative threads of misinformation that have circulated in Saudi Arabia since the COVID-19 pandemic include the origin of COVID19 and health advice coping with COVID-19
Summary
Social media screening for public health has emerged as an essential component in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic studies of misinformation on social media platforms and digital social listening for public health predate the COVID-19 era, tracing back to outbreaks such as. The spread of misinformation on social media has shown to have multiple negative wide-scale effects. It can manipulate public opinion [12] and incite fear and chaos [13] that lead to several social disorders. Such phenomena have a more prominent negative effect during a global health crisis and pandemic.
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