COVID-19 Misinformation Research Articles

Identifying Topics Around Nicotine Gum: A Machine Learning Approach with Twitter Data

Background Nicotine gum products from brands like Lucy and Rogue are relatively new arrivals to the tobacco marketplace. While studies of correlates of nicotine gum use are in their nascent stage, data from social media can be used to stay abreast of user experiences with novel tobacco products. This study leveraged machine learning to identify topics of Twitter posts about nicotine gum from the year 2022. Methods Twitter data was collected using the Twitter Application Programming Interface (API), with search terms “nicotine” AND “gum” OR “nic” AND “gum”. 16,940 tweets from 10,353 unique users were included in the analysis. Topic modeling with Top2Vec was used to identify topics and a string search of popular brands and flavors was also conducted. Results Eight distinct topics were identified. Smoking and vaping cessation was the most common topic, followed by promotion, pricing, and marketing; appeal; product comparisons; perceived benefits; distrust in institutions; health concerns; and COVID-19 misinformation. The most mentioned brand was Nicorette. A tenth of the tweets contained a reference to a flavor. Conclusion The goal of identifying topics in nicotine gum-related conversations is to better understand the public’s perceptions and experiences with nicotine gum. These findings may be used to inform survey-based research, policy targets, and health communication campaigns.

Understanding the features and effectiveness of randomized controlled trials in reducing COVID-19 misinformation: a systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to assess the features and effectiveness of individual-level randomized controlled trials targeting COVID-19 misinformation. The selection process included rigorous criteria, resulting in the inclusion of 24 individual studies from 21 papers. The majority of studies were conducted in high-income countries, with the accuracy/credibility of information as the primary outcome. Debunking and boosting interventions were the most common interventions while nudging and content labeling interventions were examined in a few studies. This study highlights that further research is needed to enhance the effectiveness of boosting strategies and to explore the impact of combined interventions. Addressing bias concerns and standardizing intervention assessment measures will contribute to the development of evidence-based approaches in this critical area.

A graph mining-based approach to analyze the dynamics of the Twitter community of COVID-19 misinformation disseminators

This study explores the global problem of misinformation dissemination on social media, particularly Twitter, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies prominent disseminators, investigates the spread of false information and the ecosystem of disinformation spreaders, and assesses their online personalities. We track the interaction among fake news spreaders using the User-User Interaction Graph. The study reveals a rapidly growing population of disseminators, including professional spreaders, with over 3% dominating the others. The collaboration among fake news spreaders is high, highlighting the need for further research using publicly available online data to understand the community spreading malicious misinformation about COVID-19.

Assessing changes in COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intentions among the Brigada Digital Latino social media audience: a repeated cross-sectional study

BackgroundU.S. Latinos experienced disproportionate COVID-19 impacts in terms of morbidity and mortality. Vaccination against COVID-19 is an important strategy for mitigating health impacts, and yet, vaccine uptake was slower among U.S. Latino adults compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Vaccine hesitancy has been a significant barrier within Latino communities, and exposure to misinformation has been associated with negative attitudes toward vaccination. While some COVID-19 mitigation efforts have included community-based outreach, few studies have explored the impact of community-based digital messaging in Spanish to counter COVID-19 misinformation, build trust, and promote vaccination. To address this gap, we conducted a one-year repeated cross-sectional study to assess changes in COVID-19 vaccine uptake, intentions, and perceived norms, as well as barriers to accessing reliable information and levels of trust in COVID-19 information sources among Latino adults exposed to Brigada Digital de Salud social media content. This culturally-tailored content disseminated on Facebook, Instagram, and X platforms was amplified by community health workers and partners, and focused on COVID-19 risk and prevention, vaccine safety and efficacy, and correcting related misinformation.ResultsStatistically significant increases in COVID-19 vaccination and intentions to vaccinate children were observed from May 2022 (wave 1) to April 2023 (wave 2). Among perceived difficulties accessing information, respondents indicated the most difficulty in judging the reliability of COVID-19 information in the media; however, a statistically significant decrease in perceived difficulty was observed between waves. With regard to trust in COVID-19 information sources, levels of trust were highest for healthcare providers in both waves, and there were statistically significant increases in trust in the FDA to ensure COVID-19 vaccine safety and trust in the federal government to ensure child COVID-19 vaccine safety at wave 2.ConclusionsSocial media messaging by trusted community-based sources shows promise as a strategy for combating health misinformation and ameliorating information access gaps for language minority populations. This digital approach represents an important tool for deploying critical information to underserved populations in public health emergency and crisis contexts, and for supporting changes in attitudes, trust, and behaviors to improve health outcomes.

Trust Us—We Are the (COVID-19 Misinformation) Experts: A Critical Scoping Review of Expert Meanings of “Misinformation” in the Covid Era

Since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, prominent social actors and institutions have warned about the threat of misinformation, calling for policy action to address it. However, neither the premises underlying expert claims nor the standards to separate truth from falsehood have been appraised. We conducted a scoping review of the medical and social scientific literature, informed by a critical policy analysis approach, examining what this literature means by misinformation. We searched academic databases and refereed publications, selecting a total of 68 articles for review. Two researchers independently charted the data. Our most salient finding was that verifiability relied largely on the claims of epistemic authorities, albeit only those vetted by the establishment, to the exclusion of independent evidentiary standards or heterodox perspectives. Further, “epistemic authority” did not depend necessarily on subject matter expertise, but largely on a new type of “expertise”: in misinformation itself. Finally, policy solutions to the alleged threat that misinformation poses to democracy and human rights called for suppressing unverified information and debate unmanaged by establishment approved experts, in the name of protecting democracy and rights, contrary to democratic practice and respect for human rights. Notably, we identified no pockets of resistance to these dominant meanings and uses. We assessed the implications of our findings for democratic public policy, and for fundamental rights and freedoms.

A quantitative content analysis of topical characteristics of the online COVID-19 infodemic in the United States and Japan

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the growth of a global infodemic. In order to combat the COVID-19 infodemic, it is necessary to understand what kinds of misinformation are spreading. Furthermore, various local factors influence how the infodemic manifests in different countries. Therefore, understanding how and why infodemics differ between countries is a matter of interest for public health. This study aims to elucidate and compare the types of COVID-19 misinformation produced from the infodemic in the US and Japan.MethodsCOVID-19 fact-checking articles were obtained from the two largest publishers of fact-checking articles in each language. 1,743 US articles and 148 Japanese articles in their respective languages were gathered, with articles published between 23 January 2020 and 4 November 2022. Articles were analyzed using the free text mining software KH Coder. Exploration of frequently-occurring words and groups of related words was carried out. Based on agglomeration plots and prior research, eight categories of misinformation were created. Lastly, coding rules were created for these eight categories, and a chi-squared test was performed to compare the two datasets.ResultsOverall, the most frequent words in both languages were related to health-related terms, but the Japan dataset had more words referring to foreign countries. Among the eight categories, differences with chi-squared p ≤ 0.01 were found after Holm-Bonferroni p value adjustment for the proportions of misinformation regarding statistics (US 40.0% vs. JP 25.7%, ϕ 0.0792); origin of the virus and resultant discrimination (US 7.0% vs. JP 20.3%, ϕ 0.1311); and COVID-19 disease severity, treatment, or testing (US 32.6% vs. JP 45.9%, ϕ 0.0756).ConclusionsLocal contextual factors were found that likely influenced the infodemic in both countries; representations of these factors include societal polarization in the US and the HPV vaccine scare in Japan. It is possible that Japan’s relative resistance to misinformation affects the kinds of misinformation consumed, directing attention away from conspiracy theories and towards health-related issues. However, more studies need to be done to verify whether misinformation resistance affects misinformation consumption patterns this way.

Unveiling the Veiled Threat: The Impact of Bots on COVID-19 Health Communication

This article presents the results of a comprehensive study examining the influence of bots on the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation and negative vaccine stance on Twitter over a period of three years. The research employed a tripartite methodology: text classification, topic modeling, and network analysis to explore this phenomenon. Text classification, leveraging the Turku University FinBERT pre-trained embeddings model, differentiated between misinformation and vaccine stance detection. Bot-like Twitter accounts were identified using the Botometer software, and further analysis was implemented to distinguish COVID-19 specific bot accounts from regular bots. Network analysis illuminated the communication patterns of COVID-19 bots within retweet and mention networks. The findings reveal that these bots exhibit distinct characteristics and tactics that enable them to influence public discourse, particularly showing an increased activity in COVID-19-related conversations. Topic modeling analysis uncovers that COVID-19 bots predominantly focused on themes such as safety, political/conspiracy theories, and personal choice. The study highlights the critical need to develop effective strategies for detecting and countering bot influence. Essential actions include using clear and concise language in health communications, establishing strategic partnerships during crises, and ensuring the authenticity of user accounts on digital platforms. The findings underscore the pivotal role of bots in propagating misinformation related to COVID-19 and vaccines, highlighting the necessity of identifying and mitigating bot activities for effective intervention.

Mitigating Misinformation Toolkit: Addressing COVID-19 Misinformation Through Interprofessional Learning and Collaboration Using a Standardized Patient-Based Educational Module.

Medical mis- and disinformation are on the rise and impact patient health outcomes. The complexity of modern medicine and health care delivery necessitates that care be delivered by an interprofessional team of providers well versed in addressing this increased prevalence of medical misinformation. Health professions educational curricula often lack opportunities for students to learn how to address medical misinformation, employ advanced communication techniques, and work collaboratively. Based on literature and our previous qualitative research, we created a module offering prework learning on COVID-19 and addressing misinformation through advanced communication techniques and interprofessional collaboration. After completing prework, students participated in a standardized patient encounter addressing COVID misinformation. Health professions student dyads completed a preencounter planning huddle and together interviewed a standardized patient. Students received global and checklist-based feedback from standardized patients and completed pre- and postsession self-assessments. Twenty students participated (10 third-year medical, nine third-year pharmacy, one fourth-year pharmacy). Key findings included the following: Nine of 15 survey questions demonstrated statistically significant improvement, including all three questions assessing readiness to have difficult conversations and six of 10 questions assessing interprofessional collaboration and team function. Students participating in this novel curriculum advanced their readiness to address medical misinformation, including COVID-19 vaccine disinformation, with patients and coworkers to improve health decision-making and patient care. These curricular methods can be customized for use with a range of health professions learners.

Dissecting the infodemic: An in-depth analysis of COVID-19 misinformation detection on X (formerly Twitter) utilizing machine learning and deep learning techniques

The alarming growth of misinformation on social media has become a global concern as it influences public opinions and compromises social, political, and public health development. The proliferation of deceptive information has resulted in widespread confusion, societal disturbances, and significant consequences for matters pertaining to health. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a substantial surge in the dissemination of inaccurate or deceptive information via social media platforms, particularly X (formerly known as Twitter), resulting in the phenomenon commonly referred to as an “Infodemic”. This review paper examines a grand selection of 600 articles published in the past five years and focuses on conducting a thorough analysis of 87 studies that investigate the detection of fake news connected to COVID-19 on Twitter. In addition, this research explores the algorithmic techniques and methodologies used to investigate the individuals responsible for disseminating this type of fake news. A summary of common datasets, along with their fundamental qualities, for detecting fake news has been included as well. For the purpose of identifying fake news, the behavioral pattern of the misinformation spreaders, and their community analysis, we have performed an in-depth examination of the most recent literature that the researchers have worked with and recommended. Our key findings can be summarized in a few points: (a) around 80% of fake news detection-related papers have utilized Deep Neural Networks-based techniques for better performance achievement, although the proposed models suffer from overfitting, vanishing gradients, and higher prediction time problems, (b) around 60% of the disseminator related analysis papers focus on identifying dominant spreaders and their communities utilizing graph modeling although there is not much work done in this domain, and finally, (c) we conclude by pointing out a wide range of research gaps, for example, the need of a large and robust training dataset and deeper investigation of the communities, etc., and suggesting potential solution strategies. Moreover, to facilitate the utilization of a large training dataset for detecting fake news, we have created a large database by compiling the training datasets from 17 different research works. The objective of this study is to shed light on exactly how COVID-19-related tweets are beginning to diverge, along with the dissemination of misinformation. Our work uncovers notable discoveries, including the ongoing rapid growth of the disseminator population, the presence of professional spreaders within the disseminator community, and a substantial level of collaboration among the fake news spreaders.

The Relationship Between News Coverage of COVID-19 Misinformation and Online Search Behavior

ABSTRACT The spread of health misinformation poses a threat to public health as it can influence individuals’ health beliefs and, potentially, behaviors, and their support for public health policies. The mainstream news media have the potential to inadvertently increase the salience of misinformation through their reporting. This study explores the agenda-setting effects of mainstream news media coverage on public salience of public health misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed the association between news media coverage and public salience – as measured by Google Trends relative search volume – of three different pieces of COVID-19 misinformation: (1) hydroxychloroquine is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19; (2) the COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility; and (3) ivermectin is a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19. We plotted news coverage of each piece of misinformation against Google Trends relative search volume over time. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to account for autocorrelation and analyze the relationship between the two time series. News media coverage volume was a significant predictor of same-day relative search volume for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. The relationship between news media coverage and searches for COVID-19 vaccines and infertility was not significant. These findings indicate mainstream news media coverage may contribute to the public salience of misinformation. Mainstream media outlets should contextualize their reporting on misinformation with verification from scientific consensus.

An Unhelpful Chain: Antecedents and Consequences of COVID-19 News Avoidance in China and Singapore

ABSTRACT This study used large-scale telephone surveys in China and Singapore in 2022 to examine the antecedents and outcomes of news avoidance amid the COVID-19 “infodemic.” The findings suggested a sequential process: Exposure to COVID-19 misinformation was related to information overload and subsequent news avoidance, which in turn was a correlate of skepticism toward vaccines. Moreover, the government’ pandemic-control policies conditioned the process. Under the “living with COVID” policy, Singaporean respondents exhibited greater exposure to misinformation and showed more pronounced vaccine distrust. In contrast, feeling overloaded, Chinese respondents under “zero-COVID” policy were more likely to avoid news about the pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Misinformation Endorsement among a Sample of Native Spanish-Speakers in the US: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Research on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation endorsement among Spanish-speaking Americans is limited. This cross-sectional study used a Spanish-language survey from May-August 2021 among 483 Spanish speakers living in the US and Puerto Rico. We applied multivariable Poisson regression with robust error variances to assess the association between independent variables and binary outcomes for vaccine acceptance versus hesitance, as well as misinformation endorsement. Vaccine acceptance was associated with COVID-19 risk perception score (PR = 1.7 high vs. low perceived risk), opinion of government transparency (PR = 2.2 very transparent vs. not transparent), and trust in vaccine information (PR = 1.8 high vs. low). There was also an interaction between time spent on social media and social media as a main source of COVID-19 information (p = 0.0484). Misinformation endorsement was associated with opinion about government transparency (PR = 0.5 moderately vs. not transparent), trust in vaccine information (PR = 0.5 high vs. low trust), social media impact on vaccine confidence (PR = 2.1 decreased vs. increased confidence), distrust vaccines (PR = 1.9 distrust vs. trust), using vaccine information from Facebook (PR = 1.4 yes vs. no), and time spent on social media by those using social media as main source of COVID-19 vaccine information (p = 0.0120). Vaccine acceptance in respondents with high misinformation endorsement scores was 0.7 times those with low scores. These findings highlight the importance of effective information dissemination, the positive role of social media, and government transparency in boosting vaccine uptake among Spanish speakers in the US.

How new pharmacists handled COVID-19 misinformation: A qualitative study

BackgroundNew pharmacists, PharmD graduates of 2020 and 2021, faced the unique challenge of entering the workforce during the volatile and divisive COVID-19 pandemic. They had to navigate patient-driven misinformation while adapting to evolving roles, including the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Understanding the experiences of new pharmacists during this period is crucial for professional development and patient care. ObjectiveThe study aimed to describe new pharmacists’ experiences of handling COVID-19 vaccine misinformation presented by patients. MethodsSemi-structured Zoom interviews were conducted with PharmD 2020 and 2021 graduates recruited from St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy until saturation was achieved. Interview questions were based on constructs of the Hearing, Understanding, Interpreting, Evaluating, Remembering, and Responding model and World Health Organization (WHO) algorithm on how to respond to vocal vaccine deniers. Data analysis was performed through deductive thematic content analysis, and findings were reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. ResultsA total of 13 interviews were conducted, with 61.5% of participants from St. John’s University and 38.5% from UM. They worked in various pharmacy settings, including independent (30.8%), chain (23.0%), long-term care (15.4%), and ambulatory care/hospital pharmacies (30.8%). The types of COVID-19 misinformation new pharmacists heard during the pandemic align with the techniques and topics of anti-vaccine arguments outlined by the WHO’s algorithm. New pharmacists utilized evaluation skills to identify credible sources and information, interpreted patients' language and sources, and assessed patients' willingness to be corrected. All new pharmacists responded to misinformation regardless of the technique or topic; however, the mechanism of response may have differed depending on whether a technique or topic was presented. ConclusionsThis baseline understanding of new pharmacists’ practices in managing health misinformation can inform the development of recommendations for health misinformation management and assist pharmacy schools in identifying areas for further training for student pharmacists.

Repeated Exposure to COVID-19 Misinformation: A Longitudinal Analysis of Prevalence and Predictors in a Community Sample.

Belief in health misinformation can affect individual health decisions and actions. Repeated exposure to the same misinformation strengthens its impact, yet little is known about how commonly repeated exposure occurs. To estimate the prevalence, we tracked exposure to 5 inaccurate COVID-19 claims every week for up to 23 consecutive weeks in a racially diverse panel of adults (n=213). Repeated exposure was common: across the 5 claims, 10%-43% of respondents reported hearing the misinformation in≥3 different weeks. Frontline workers were more likely than other community members to experience repeated exposure, with adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) ranging from 1.8 to 4.9 across the 4 items. Repeated exposure was most common among older adults. Adjusted IRR for those ages≥50 versus 18-29years ranged from 1.8 to 2.5 per misinformation claim. Public health planning efforts to counter health misinformation should anticipate multiple exposures to the same false claim, especially in certain subgroups.

Detection of Misinformation Related to Pandemic Diseases using Machine Learning Techniques in Social Media Platforms

INTRODUCTION: The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it not only a global health crisis but also an infodemic characterized by the rampant spread of misinformation on social media platforms. OBJECTIVES: In response to the urgent need for effective misinformation detection, this study presents a comprehensive approach harnessing machine learning and deep learning techniques, culminating in ensemble methods, to combat the proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. METHODS: Drawing from a rich dataset comprising user comments on these platforms, encompassing diverse COVID-19- related discussions, our research applies Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision tree, logistic regression, and neural networks to perform indepth analysis and classification of comments into two categories: positive and negative information. The innovation of our approach lies in the final phase, where we employ ensemble methods to consolidate the strengths of various machine learning and deep learning algorithms. This ensemble approach significantly improves the model’s overall accuracy and adaptability. RESULTS: Experimental results underscore the efficacy of our methodology, showcasing marked improvements in detection performance compared to individual models. After applying ensemble learning, we achieve an accuracy of 91% for Facebook data, 79% for Instagram data, 80% for Twitter data and 95% for YouTube data. CONCLUSION: Our system not only aids in curbing the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation but also provides a robust framework for addressing misinformation across various contexts on social media platforms.

The Management of Patients at High Risk of Serious COVID-19 Disease: Optimising the Patient Pathway in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Introduction For patients at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease, antiviral therapeutic options are available to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death. Although many countries have developed national guidelines for COVID-19 management that include use of antiviral agents, it is unclear how these guidelines are used in daily clinical practice. This study aims to assess the management of high-risk COVID-19 patients in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, with a focus on understanding current practices, challenges, and potential strategies for improvement. Methods Healthcare professionals (HCPs) from the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe came together at a regional summit in February 2023 to share perspectives on the therapeutic management of patients at high risk of serious COVID-19 disease in the community. Summit participants represented diverse medical specialties, geographical regions, and healthcare settings. Key insights gathered during the summit were supplemented with evidence from the published literature via a non-systematic literature search of MEDLINE and online sources such as government reports since the start of 2020 to identify articles on disease burden, unmet needs, treatment access, antiviral therapy, guidelines related to individuals with COVID-19 at high-risk for poor outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Together, these sources were used by the authors to generate their recommendations for future priorities and optimal care pathways globally. Results Specific insights gathered from the summit were that participants reported that primary care is the first point of contact for high-risk patients, but the role of primary care physicians (PCPs) in treatment is uncertain. Additionally, participants highlighted that between-country differences in the care pathway for high-risk patients are due to variations in local treatment practices, healthcare system structures, and resourcing. In line with the published literature, participants agreed that HCP education is needed to support the identification, counseling, and appropriate management of high-risk patients and that pharmacists have a critical role to play in identifying clinically important potential interactions with antiviral treatment and recommending appropriate adjustments. Furthermore, patient hesitancy can result in late presentation, delayed treatment, and potential progression of symptoms. HCPs should proactively counsel high-risk patients, so they are aware of their risk and its implications and understand what to do if they experience symptoms of COVID-19. Targeted educational initiatives for patients are needed to mitigate reluctance to undergo COVID-19 testing and counter COVID-19 misinformation. Conclusion Collaboration among stakeholders is essential to optimize COVID-19 management for high-risk patients globally, ensuring effective implementation of guidelines and improving outcomes.

Examining the impact of digital information environments, information processing, and presumed influence on behavioral responses to COVID-19 misinformation in Asia

This study examines exposure to, perception of, and behavioral responses to misinformation about COVID-19 on social media from the influence of presumed influence (IPI) framework. To understand how the digital information environment of a society shapes the spread and responses to pandemic misinformation, four culturally similar Asian cities—Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei—were selected, generating a sample of 4094 respondents. Our findings suggest a paradox—the more information respondents in the four cities have access to, the less likely they are to view misinformation on COVID-19 and accept it as true without elaboration. Moreover, the study extends IPI theory by demonstrating negative emotions as a mechanism that mediates the relationship between perceived social impact and behavioral intentions. That is, the more respondents perceived misinformation to be harmful, the more negatively they felt about misinformation, which led to greater likelihood of taking restrictive, promotional, and corrective actions.

COVID-19 in Polish-language social media - misinformation vs government information

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge of conspiracy theories and misinformation proliferated across social media platforms. Recognizing the severity of the issue, medical associations began to regard it as a significant threat to public health systems. The objective of this study was to quantify the proportion of COVID-19 misinformation and official government information within the most frequently shared items on Polish social media. MethodsThe analysis utilized the BuzzSumo Enterprise Application. Polish-language social media posts from January 1 to June 30, 2022, were scrutinized using keywords such as "COVID," "koronawirus," or "SARS-CoV-2." A comprehensive report was generated, encompassing shares, comments, likes, and reactions (engagements). We analyzed the top 40 items that generated the most engagement. To ensure accuracy, two of the authors, both medical doctors, independently assessed each of them for potential misinformation. ResultsWe identified 161,404 items in the Polish language that were shared on social media, representing 41,432,352 engagements. The top 40 items (0.02 % of all items) accounted for 7.71 % of engagements (3,194,900). Four items classified as misinformation accounted for 7.7 % of the Top 40 items, accumulating 244,700 engagements. All identified items were labeled as "manipulated news" due to their reliance on unverified or inappropriately interpreted data; none were classified as fabricated news. Government sources accounted for 4.1 % of the Top 40 items, accumulating 130,800 engagements. ConclusionsThis study highlights the significant prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation. Remedial measures should be implemented, addressing both social media platforms and real-life contexts, to enhance public health literacy.

Divergent impact of belief in COVID-19 misinformation on cross-border tourism

In an atmosphere of pathogen danger and mistrust during a pandemic, misinformation can induce the urge to penalize the pathogen's origin-destination. This study exams the effect of COVID-19 origin belief (that is, the belief that the virus is human-engineered) on hospitality and tourism outcomes using multi-wave data (U.S. sample: N = 351). The findings suggest that the diverse impact of COVID-19 origin belief (COVID-19 misinformation) on tourists and residents' approach-avoid behaviors can best be modeled in dual explanatory mechanisms. Specifically, COVID-19 origin belief relates to tourism animosity positively but has a negative association with destination image and resident hospitality. The positive indirect effect of COVID-19 origin belief on tourists' willingness to visit is transmitted by tourism animosity. In contrast, the negative indirect effect of COVID-19 origin belief on tourists' willingness to visit and resident hospitality is transmitted by destination image. Tourists and residents' level of education moderates the positive and negative direct and indirect effects.

Public Health Communication Reduces COVID-19 Misinformation Sharing and Boosts Self-Efficacy

Abstract During health crises, misinformation may spread rapidly on social media, leading to hesitancy towards health authorities. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted significant research on how communication from health authorities can effectively facilitate compliance with health-related behavioral advice such as distancing and vaccination. Far fewer studies have assessed whether and how public health communication can help citizens avoid the harmful consequences of exposure to COVID-19 misinformation, including passing it on to others. In two experiments in Denmark during the pandemic, the effectiveness of a 3-minute and a 15-second intervention from the Danish Health Authorities on social media was assessed, along with an accuracy nudge. The findings showed that the 3-minute intervention providing competences through concrete and actionable advice decreased sharing of COVID-19-related misinformation and boosted their sense of self-efficacy. These findings suggest that authorities can effectively invest in building citizens’ competences in order to mitigate the spread of misinformation on social media.