Health-protective Behaviour, Social Media Usage and Conspiracy Belief during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Social media platforms have long been recognised as major disseminators of health misinformation. Many previous studies have found a negative association between health-protective behaviours and belief in the specific form of misinformation popularly known as ‘conspiracy theory’. Concerns have arisen regarding the spread of COVID-19 conspiracy theories on social media.

All three studies found a negative relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and COVID-19 health-protective behaviors, and a positive relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and use of social media as a source of information about COVID-19. Studies 2 and 3 also found a negative relationship between COVID-19 health-protective behaviors and use of social media as a source of information, and Study 3 found a positive relationship between health-protective behaviors and use of broadcast media as a source of information.

The conclusion of the authors is that, when used as an information source, unregulated social media may present a health risk that is partly but not wholly reducible to their role as disseminators of health-related conspiracy beliefs.

Source: Health-protective Behaviour, Social Media Usage and Conspiracy Belief during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

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    YouTube as a Source of Patient Information for Coronavirus Disease (COVID ‐19): A Content‐Quality and Audience Engagement Analysis

    YouTube is the second most popular website in the world and is increasingly being used as a platform for disseminating health information. The authors’ aim was to evaluate the content‐quality and audience engagement of YouTube videos pertaining to the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)‐CoV‐2 virus which causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19), during the early phase of the pandemic.

    They chose the first 30 videos for seven different search phrases: “2019 nCoV,” “SARS CoV‐2,” “COVID‐19 virus,” “coronavirus treatment,” “coronavirus explained,” “what is the coronavirus” and “coronavirus information.” Video contents were evaluated by two independent medical students with more than 5 years of experience using the DISCERN instrument. Qualitative data, quantitative data and upload source for each video was noted for a quality and audience engagement analysis.

    Out of the total 210 videos, 137 were evaluated. The mean DISCERN score was 31.33 out of 75 possible points, which indicates that the quality of YouTube videos on COVID‐19 is currently poor. There was excellent reliability between the two raters (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96). 55% of the videos discussed prevention, 49% discussed symptoms and 46% discussed the spread of the virus.

    Most of the videos were uploaded by news channels (50%) and education channels (40%). The quality of YouTube videos on SARS‐CoV‐2 and COVID‐19 is poor, however, the authors have listed the top‐quality videos in their article as they may be effective tools for patient education during the pandemic.

    Source: YouTube as a Source of Patient Information for Coronavirus Disease (COVID ‐19): A Content‐Quality and Audience Engagement Analysis

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      Stigma During the COVID-19 Pandemic

      Stigma associated with COVID-19 poses a serious threat to the lives of healthcare workers, patients, and survivors of the disease.

      In May 2020, a community of advocates comprising of 13 medical and humanitarian organisations including, among others, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the the International Hospital Federation, and World Medical Association issued a declaration that condemned more than 200 incidents of COVID-19 related attacks on healthcare workers and health facilities during the ongoing pandemic.

      Source: Stigma During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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        How the Virus Won

        This interactive graphic moves through the timeline of COVID-19 in the United States and shows via a map how and where the virus spread.

        Source: How the Virus Won

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          Gender Equity and the COVID-19 Community Health Response Webinar

          This webinar was held on June 18, 2020 and was sponsored by Last Mile Health.

          During the webinar, the panelists discuss the importance of integrating gender equity into the community health COVID-19 pandemic response. Panelists also share insights and experiences related to reducing the gender gap through data, CHW programming, policy integration, and broader empowerment efforts. Additionally, the speakers outline what this looks like in practice and how they are working to reduce the gender gap in the context of COVID-19 response.

          Source: Gender Equity and the COVID-19 Community Health Response Webinar

            Views 427

            COVID-19 Exposes the Harsh Realities of Gender Inequality in Slums

            The COVID-19 pandemic is largely concentrated in cities and urban areas, with around 2,600 cities globally reporting at least one case of the disease. While the epicentre of the global health crisis is still Europe and North America, its impact on developing countries may be more devastating, especially for the poorest. The 1 billion+ people living in slums and slum-like settings in developing countries, where population density is high, are those most at-risk and least prepared.

            Most countries have responded with shelter-in-place orders, lockdowns and measures to curtail COVID-19’s spread. But slum-dwellers will have a hard time complying, as their overcrowded housing often lacks basic utilities, like water and sanitation. For women and girls who are slum-dwellers, the challenges are even greater as they face increased domestic violence (already being reported) and unpaid care burdens.

            Women aged 15 to 49 are overrepresented in urban slums and slum-like settings in 80 per cent of the 59 developing countries analysed in a Spotlight on Goal 11 paper, produced by UN Women and UN-Habitat. In Kibera, Kenya, the world’s fourth-most-populated slum – and where COVID-19 cases are highest in East Africa – there are 116 women for every 100 men. The figure is 120+ women per 100 men in Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti and Lesotho. In 61 per cent of the 59 developing countries analysed, more than half of women aged 15–49 live in slums.

            Source: COVID-19 Exposes the Harsh Realities of Gender Inequality in Slums

              Views 512

              British Medical Journal COVID-19 Hub

              British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) COVID-19 hub supports health professionals and researchers with practical guidance, online CPD courses, as well as the latest news, comment, and research from BMJ. The content is free and updated daily.

              Source: British Medical Journal COVID-19 Hub

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                Questions and Answers about Violence against Women and COVID-19

                This page offers health workers as well as the general public answers to questions about violence against women in the context of COVID-19.

                The questions include:

                Source: Questions and Answers about Violence against Women and COVID-19

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                  Atelier d’évaluation et de ré-planification du plan d’action opérationnel intégré de la communication de risque 2020

                  Ce document a été produit pour la coordination des activités des partenaires qui appuie la plateforme One Health dans le cadre de la communication de risque.

                  Source: Atelier d’évaluation et de ré-planification du plan d’action opérationnel intégré de la communication de risque 2020

                    Views 573