Identifying Novel COVID-19 Rumours Through a Multi-channel Approach

Abstract

AbstractDuring a health emergency like COVID-19, rumours impacting health prevention behaviors can rapidly emerge and take root, ebbing and flowing over the course of the emergency. A rumour is an act of communication containing unverified information and can be an event (a case, a death, an outbreak) or a belief (misinformation or disinformation). Rumours are powerful because they resonate with individuals—they can help a community make sense of painful circumstances and regain a sense of control. But they can also create barriers to protective behaviors and undermine the public health response. Identifying novel rumours is imperative for strong risk communication and community engagement. There are a variety of approaches to rumour identification that can be maintained during a preparedness phase and rapidly scaled during an emergency. These approaches must be tailored to the local context and take into account social media penetration, trusted influencers, and existing infrastructure. This chapter provides an overview of a rumour identification and analysis process, and offers two case studies from the COVID-19 pandemic: working with community-based informants and social media in Côte d’Ivoire, and partnering with a national hotline in Mozambique. In each case, we will describe how themes emerging from the rumour-tracking system informed the national COVID-19 response.