The COVID-19 Infodemic: Mechanism, Impact, and Counter-Measures—A Review of Reviews

Abstract

The acceptability of appropriate SARS-CoV-2 pandemic measures including vaccinations is currently being hampered due to significant misinformation all over the globe, also known as the “infodemic” within the pandemic. We asked the following two research questions: (1) What is the current extent of the global infodemic preventing populations from receiving adequate healthcare including COVID-vaccinations? (2) Which are appropriate countermeasures to manage the infodemic in order to guarantee adequate healthcare in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Pubmed and Cochrane Library were accessed on 29 October 2021 and searched for reviews and systematic reviews on “COVID-19” and “infodemic”. The literature identified was analyzed with methods of qualitative research focusing on (1) mechanism, (2) impact, and (3) countermeasures to confront the infodemic. The world-wide infodemic is being recognized as a multifaceted problem beyond health and human rights, extending into global political spheres such as societal cohesion and security. The mechanism of the COVID-19 infodemic involves specific factors related to the situation, sender, instrument, and recipient. Although freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive, and impart information through any media is a fundamental human right, the infodemic has a substantial impact on health, another fundamental human right, by causing stress, deception, violence, and harm. Mixed-synergistic pre-impact, trans-impact, and post-impact countermeasures can be taken; the most important is building and maintaining trust.

Measuring the Burden of Infodemics: Summary of the Methods and Results of the Fifth WHO Infodemic Management Conference

“…As the world becomes more digitized, the digital information environment increasingly influences social dynamics between people and across communities, influencing health decisions and behaviors [4][5][6]. The accessibility and availability of health information, the algorithms of social media platforms, the architecture of online communities and news channels, and format all impact how individuals receive and act on health information [4,6].…”

Optimization of Green Containerized Grain Supply Chain Transportation Problem in Ukraine Considering Disruption Scenarios

“…The probability of such disaster events is very low, but their business impact can be very high. COVID-19 has volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous elements [34]. An example of such a disruption is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has greatly affected the global economy, and many companies all over the world have suffered from big financial losses, some of which even have to declare bankruptcy.…”

Global key concepts of civil-military cooperation for disaster management in the COVID-19 pandemic—A qualitative phenomenological scoping review

“…Data charting: Qualitative literature analysis, coding of significant statements and horizontalization in order to identify global CIMIC key concepts Identified publications were analyzed through a qualitative, mixed narrative-phenomenological approach as proposed by Creswell, and as applied in previous projects of similar scope published in the peer-reviewed literature (3,4,13,14). This approach was considered best for providing the highest flexibility for identification of pertinent key topics rather than analyzing data automated with pre-specified terms which would potentially miss significant statements.…”

“…By 09 June 2022, 533.766.156 cases, 6.305.234 deaths, and 11.529.693.882 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses administered were reported globally ( 2 ). Transmitted through aerosols from person-to-person including still asymptomatic, but yet infectious individuals, the condition spread rapidly around the globe, impacting a large geographic area in a dramatic time dynamic that was considered a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) public health situation for the global disaster response community ( 3 , 4 ). In the context of a holistic and comprehensive disaster response effort, many countries across the globe mobilized their military forces in order to cope with sudden and exponential surges of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in stretched healthcare systems.…”