The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an infodemic as an “overabundance of information—some
accurate and some not—that occurs during an epidemic. It spreads between humans in
a similar manner to an epidemic, via digital and physical information systems. It
makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they
need it.”
1
The emotional effects associated with the infodemic within the Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, whether confusion, frustration, anxiety, or fear, are apparent
when interacting with patients, their families, and facility staff members.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- An ad hoc WHO technical consultation managing the COVID-19 infodemic: call for action, 7–8 April 2020. World Health Organization, Geneva2020 (License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO)
- A call to arms: Helping family, friends and communities navigate the COVID-19 infodemic.Nat Rev Immunol. 2020; 20: 449-450
- COVID-19-related infodemic and its impact on public health: A global social media analysis [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 10].Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020; 103: 1621-1629
- Face masks: What the data say.(Available at:)https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8Date accessed: November 16, 2020
- Scientific brief: Community use of cloth masks to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.(Available at:)https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.htmlDate accessed: November 17, 2020
- How to fight an infodemic: The four pillars of infodemic management.J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22: e21820
- COVID-19 Systematic Urgent Review Group Effort (SURGE) study authors. Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lancet. 2020; 395: 1973-1987
- Social media and vaccine hesitancy: new updates for the era of COVID-19 and globalized infectious diseases.Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2020; 16: 2586-2593
- Social-media companies must flatten the curve of misinformation.Nature. 2020 Apr 14; ([Epub ahead of print])
- Questions and answers about the COVID-19 vaccine for PALTC staff, patients, residents, and family members.(Available at:)
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 28, 2021
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© 2021 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
