Infodemia: excesso de quantidade em detrimento da qualidade das informações sobre a COVID-19

Abstract

Editorial T he phenomenon referred to as the "infodemic" has stood out in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The term refers to "a large increase in the volume of information associated with a specific topic, the growth of which can occur exponentially in a short period of time due to a specific incident, such as the current pandemic. In this situation, misinformation and rumors appear on the scene, along with the manipulation of information with doubtful intent. In the information age, this phenomenon is amplified through social networks, spreading farther and faster, like a virus". 1,2 Excess and often conflicting information makes it hard to find information that is truly useful for providing people with guidance, and can hinder decision-making by health service managers and health workers, especially when there is not enough time to assess available evidence. Moreover, constant bombardment with information that reaches people through a variety of media (such as television, radio, computer, tablets, smartphones, printed or electronic newspapers, blogs, social media, chat applications) ends up overloading them. 3 As a result people often become anxious, depressed or even exhausted and unable to cope with the demands that arise. 1 Disseminating clear, consistent and evidence-based information is fundamental for addressing the pandemic. However, in the case of social media, anyone can manifest their ideas or share news, often lacking a scientific basis or a reliable source, and with no control over their contents. Only recently have owners and those responsible for large social media platforms begun to prioritize official sources of information about the pandemic and to block inadequate contents. 4 Indeed, dissemination of false information can result in disastrous consequences for individuals and communities. In the United Kingdom, unfounded theories were shared massively blaming 5G mobile telephone technology for spreading the novel coronavirus. As a consequence, people who believed in that fallacy set fire to almost 100 mobile telephone transmission towers and assaulted telephone company employees. 5,6 In Iran, where fake news circulated stating that drinking alcohol would provide protection against COVID-19 or would kill the coronavirus, more than 700 people died after drinking alcohol of unknown origin contaminated with methanol. 7 In Brazil, such extreme situations have not come to light. However, there is intense circulation of fake news. False information is spread above all through social media-WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram-, such as stating the COVID-19 cases do not exist, with images of vacant hospital beds, and information about homemade methods for preventing coronavirus contagion, treatment without scientific proof of its efficacy, and conspiracy theories that put the pandemic down to a political strategy, taking stances against social distancing measures needed to control propagation of the disease. 8 This situation is a source of concern, given that social media reach a large part of the population. Moreover, the internet is an importance source for seeking information about COVID-19 prevention measures on the national scenario. A study revealed that periods of increased interest in COVID-19 occurred after the media published the main epidemiological landmarks of the disease in Brazil. 9 In addition, the results suggest possible information gaps about some of the main forms of prevention, thus contributing to the spread of false information. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has been working to address fake news and provide the population and the press with reliable information. 10 The MoH website (https://www.saude.gov.br/ fakenews) provides a list of fake news, what is really known about the subject in question, and recommendations for COVID-19 prevention. Examples are shown in Figure 1. The MoH has made available a WhatsApp number (61-99289 4640) to which messages received via social media containing doubtful information can be sent, the truthfulness of which is then checked by MoH technical areas before an official reply is given about them. The main way to minimize the infodemic is to guide people to check the source and the veracity of information before sharing it or using it as guidance. In other words, priority must be given to quality and not quantity of information.