Knowra COVID-19 misinformation COVID-19 misinformation False or misleading claims about COVID-19, including its causes, spread, prevention, treatment, or vaccines. Such claims range from errors to deliberately deceptive content.
Infodemic : An overabundance of information, including false or misleading material, that makes it difficult to find reliable guidance during an outbreak. The World Health Organization used this term for the information surge accompanying COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccine misinformation : False or misleading claims about the safety, effectiveness, ingredients, or effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine claims became a major strand of misinformation during vaccine development and rollout.
Health communication : The study and practice of communicating health information to individuals, communities, and institutions. Clear, timely communication can reduce openings for misleading COVID-19 narratives.
Vaccine hesitancy : Delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services. False vaccine claims contributed to doubts that could delay or discourage COVID-19 vaccination.
Confirmation bias : The tendency to favor information that supports existing beliefs and discount information that challenges them. It helps explain why some COVID-19 claims persisted despite contrary evidence.
5G conspiracy theory : A conspiracy narrative falsely linking fifth-generation mobile networks to disease, including COVID-19. This narrative falsely claimed that 5G caused or spread COVID-19.
Risk communication : The exchange of information about hazards, uncertainty, and protective actions between authorities and affected communities. Transparent explanations of changing evidence helped address confusion during the pandemic.
Trust in science : Public confidence that scientific methods and institutions produce reliable knowledge and communicate it responsibly. Repeated misinformation and contested corrections affected confidence in scientific guidance.
Social media : Digital platforms that let users create, share, and respond to content within networked communities. User sharing and platform recommendations helped circulate COVID-19 claims at scale.
Hydroxychloroquine : A medication used to prevent and treat malaria and to manage certain autoimmune diseases. Unsupported claims promoted it as a COVID-19 treatment before clinical evidence established no benefit for hospitalized patients.
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