The Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Perception and Enabling Surveillance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Healthcare Professionals
Keywords:
Social Media, COVID-19 Pandemic, SARS-CoV-2Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of social media in disseminating information, shaping public perceptions, and enabling disease surveillance. This study examines how healthcare professionals have utilized social media during the pandemic, analyzes public sentiment and key topics of discussion on social platforms, and explores the implications for public health communication and outbreak monitoring. Using a mixed-methods approach combining social media analytics and surveys of healthcare workers, we found that social media served as a key channel for rapid information sharing but also contributed to the spread of misinformation. Healthcare professionals leveraged social platforms to educate the public and combat false claims, though faced challenges in cutting through the noise. Analysis of Twitter data revealed shifting public sentiments over the course of the pandemic, with fear and confusion dominant in early stages giving way to frustration and pandemic fatigue over time. The study highlights the importance of strategic social media engagement by health authorities and the potential of social media data for augmenting traditional public health surveillance methods.
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