Infodemic and infodemiology in public health: Similarities and differences

Abstract

The terms “infodemiology” and “infodemic” have been widely used in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the similarity of these terms, they are not always clearly distinguished in usage. Consequently, public health may face threats due to the terms’ overlapping definitions. There is a risk of confusion and misinterpretation of meaning if these terms are used interchangeably. This study compares the terms regarding the number of scientific publications (PubMed database) and the population’s interest (search engine queries and Wikipedia pageviews). From these data, it can be concluded that the scientific and public interest in and awareness of infodemic is greater than that for infodemiology. In addition, the use of both terms has increased in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We briefly discuss the similarities and differences between the two terms, as well as the opportunities and threats, that arise from the overlapping definitions of them. It can be also concluded that the need to distinguish between the two terms is emphasized by the more frequent use of these terms.