Fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic: perception of health professionals and their families

Mayckel Da Silva Barreto,Rebeca Rosa De Souza,Carolina Da Silva Caram,José Luís Guedes Dos Santos,Herbert Leopoldo De Freitas Goes,Sonia Silva Marcon

doi:10.1590/1980-220x-reeusp-2021-0007

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To know the perception of health professionals and their families about fake news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative approach. Twenty-eight individuals participated, including seven physicians, seven nurses, and 14 family members. Data collection took place between August and October 2020, with audio-recorded interviews. After transcription, the content was analyzed using Content Analysis, thematic modality. Results: Three categories were identified: “Context of the occurrence and dissemination of fake news in times of pandemic”; “Consequences of fake news on the experience of the pandemic”; and “Coping strategies to contain/combat fake news”. Conclusion: Sociocultural, political, educational, and technological aspects influence the occurrence and dissemination of fake news, which have consequences such as: misinformation, self-medication, worsening in the professional-patient relationship, increased need for additional research, and fear in the population. To face the current situation, greater control by the State is required, with investigation and punishment of people who disseminate fake news, as well as greater awareness among the population on the subject.

Highlights

COVID-19 was initially identified in December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, quickly spreading to several countries
To know the perception of health professionals and their families about fake news related to the COVID-19 pandemic
The results of this study show that the dissemination of fake news is related to the social, cultural, technological, political, and educational context of the current society and that it was highlighted with the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the manifestation of a phenomenon described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as infodemic, which refers to “overabundance of information, some accurate and some not, that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it”(17)

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 was initially identified in December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, quickly spreading to several countries. Most patients infected with respiratory syndromes, such as COVID-19, initially seek an emergency unit. Nurses and physicians working in these places are the first professionals to provide care for patients with the new disease[2]. The COVID-19 pandemic is an stressful and traumatic event for professionals in emergency units as it is a novel disease requiring constant attention in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and vigilance in protection and social distancing measures[3,4]. In Portugal, for instance, the nurses’ association and the unions denounced the absence of support strategies to nurses in the face of the weaknesses experienced in daily life, resulting from professional devaluation and non-investment in their workforce[5]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion