Genomics, social media and the novel coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19

Abstract

The spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the novel coronavirus on social media has led to increased racist and xenophobic acts. The origin of the novel coronavirus is still unknown, but it has been widely discussed online. Viral genomics research will help us understand the origin, structure and evolution of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). We developed a simple one-minute Facebook survey to assess Portuguese residents’ perceptions about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2. The results revealed high levels of misinformation, mainly among those groups with lower educational attainment. Social media will need to take on the hard task of improving the quality of science communication and changing mindsets. Society at large will be responsible for preventing a future pandemic through the coordination and improvement of civic, political, educational and scientific approaches.