Framework for Managing the COVID-19 Infodemic: Methods and Results of an Online, Crowdsourced WHO Technical Consultation

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A World Health Organization (WHO) technical consultation on responding to the infodemic related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was held, entirely online, to crowdsource suggested actions for a framework for infodemic management.

The first version of this framework proposes five action areas in which WHO Member States and actors within society can apply, according to their mandate, an infodemic management approach adapted to national contexts and practices. Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related infodemic require swift, regular, systematic, and coordinated action from multiple sectors of society and government. It remains crucial that we promote trusted information and fight misinformation, thereby helping save lives.

Source: Framework for Managing the COVID-19 Infodemic: Methods and Results of an Online, Crowdsourced WHO Technical Consultation

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    COVID-19 Planning Guide for Adapting Risk Communication and Community Engagement as Public Health and Social Measures Shift: With Safety Tips for Conducting Community Meetings

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    This document includes key Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) considerations during shifting lockdown measures, safety measures for conducting in-person community meetings, and a template that brings both of these considerations together to help agencies adapt their RCCE approaches as these measures shift.

    Appendices include key RCCE considerations for different community and humanitarian contexts, and free downloadable images and a flyer that can be used to promote safe community meetings.

    All are invited to share either the live version or download a PDF version.

    Source: COVID-19 Planning Guide for Adapting Risk Communication and Community Engagement as Public Health and Social Measures Shift: With Safety Tips for Conducting Community Meetings

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      How Behavioral Science Can Help Contain the Coronavirus

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      Very little is known about how factors like fear, misinformation, stress, and social norms are shaping behaviors that affect transmission of COVID-19. Even less is understood about what might lead people to ignore government recommendations altogether.

      To fill in these gaps, a consortium of more than 100 behavioral researchers on five continents is currently working around the clock to measure the full social and material consequences of this pandemic. Our goal is simple: to demonstrate in real time what is working—and what isn’t.

      The study is designed in three phases. The first consists of a 20-minute-long survey taken weekly that gauges how human beings are coping during this unprecedented crisis. Questions focus on individual thoughts, feelings, concerns and motivations, and how COVID-19 affects everything from faith in leaders to attitudes toward migrants. More than 45,000 people in 100 countries have taken the survey in 22 languages, and the study leaders are registering additional respondents every day.

      Source: How Behavioral Science Can Help Contain the Coronavirus

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        Cambodia’s 115 Hotline: Successful COVID-19 Digital Response

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        An existing hotline in Cambodia has been scaled up for COVID-19 Digital Response, going from 500-600 calls per day to 18,000 calls on peak days. Roughly 75% of callers access the health education menu and 25% are reporting suspect COVID-19 cases/symptoms.

        Cambodia CDC is using the hotline as a primary first point of contact for all potential COVID-19 cases in the country – surveillance officers have staffed up to answer calls around the clock, screen callers, and direct them to appropriate rapid response teams/contract tracing teams for verification and testing.

        As testing is still very limited, this approach is helping them reduce the overall burden on the health system – trying to give people the education and screening they need remotely.

        Expanding the 115 Hotline has allowed the Cambodian government to efficiently and effectively implement a response to the outbreak in their country.  The ability to respond quickly, and reduce the burden of wasting critical time looking for or developing new solutions is just one of many.

        This article lists several reasons for the success of the hotline.

        Source: Cambodia’s 115 Hotline: Successful COVID-19 Digital Response

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

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          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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            Practical Guidance for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Migrants, and Host Communities Particularly Vulnerable to COVID-19 Pandemic

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            This practical guidance is designed to assist program specialists to implement COVID-19 RCCE activities for and with refugees, IDPs, migrants and host communities vulnerable to the pandemic.

            The guidance highlights key challenges and barriers faced by these people in accessing COVID19 health-related information and presents key considerations and recommendations
            for planning and implementing RCCE activities. The document can be adapted to countries’ specific context and aligned with national response plans for COVID-19 and national RCCE plans.

            Source: Practical Guidance for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Migrants, and Host Communities Particularly Vulnerable to COVID-19 Pandemic

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              #infohygiene in Times of Pandemics

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              The world is dealing with a new and challenging crisis with fast-evolving science, combined with a staggering flow of information, the first global “infodemic”.

              And while we are forced to keep a distance from our fellow human beings, the virus has also shown us just how connected we all are. Information is forwarded and then forwarded again, breaking news with new cases, mitigation measurements, unforeseen effects and encouraging breakthroughs, have us jumping between devices and screens. Some suffer from information fatigue, others risk being left out of the loop, but everyone is equally struggling to navigate and find the right information that is relevant to their context.

              Internews has been working on rumours, misinformation and disinformation for many years, including in the Ebola-response in 2014 where we launched our first rumour-tracking project, a methodology we continue to use, adapt and improve in humanitarian responses around the world. It also helps us grapple with fake news and disinformation when it infiltrates the mainstream media.

              The information ecosystem is now truly global, which can be overwhelming. Local media are uniquely positioned to be a bridge between science and daily life. The media can make sense of the science for their audiences, translating facts into truly useful information. The media can also connect the questions from those living within their community, with the services and advice from those who are trying to improve their lives.

              Misinformation and rumours thrive when people feel ignored, when the information they get does not take into account the reality they live in. Disinformation gets traction, when it manages to speak a language people prefer, rather than a language they understand, when it speaks to their concerns, their fears and their hopes.

              We need to get our facts straight, that’s a basic rule of journalism. But more than just providing facts, we need to be sure we understand why a half-truth was believed in the first place.

              There’s no magic formula, no cure, no vaccine against misinformation. But, with the following tips and tricks, journalists can play their part in slowing the spread of misinformation.

              Source: #infohygiene in Times of Pandemics

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                Local Media and Community Engagement in Humanitarian Settings

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                In an information climate as complex as that surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, local information plays a vital role in determining how communities respond to public health orders and guidance.

                Alongside the current restrictions we are all subject to, the need for information – especially among vulnerable and marginalized groups – is greater than ever before. People need simple, practical information to protect themselves, their families, and communities . They also need ways to elevate their voices and concerns.

                In this guide, lnternews lays out an approach to community engagement involving a range of mechanisms that are alternatives to face-to-face. Given the current pandemic context, we are required to adapt our trusted Communicating with Communities methodologies to ensure people have access to information that responds directly to their questions and concerns, thus tackling misinformation and dispelling rumors.

                Source: Local Media and Community Engagement in Humanitarian Settings

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                  COVID-Ready Communication Playbook for Health Professionals

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                  The team at VitalTalk crowdsourced this playbook to provide some practical advice to health care professionals on how to talk to their patients about some difficult topics related to COVID-19.

                  Building on their experience studying and teaching communication they’ve drawn on their networks to crowdsource the challenges and match them with advice from some of the best clinicians they know.

                  Source: COVID-Ready Communication Playbook for Health Professionals

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

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                    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 640