Impact of Social Media on Pandemic COVID-19 Outbreak

1. Introduction

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was found in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 (Lu H et al, 2020). Immediately the virus was spread all over the world, which results in this pandemic situation. Internationally, the governments imposed social distancing and home quarantine and other methods to stop the infectious disease (Gorbalenya, 2020). Social networking sites and mass media played an important role in giving facts regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Though less information is identified about novel coronavirus (COVID-19), several rumors and fake information distributed all over world via social media that freaked public to take decision in anxiety (Machado et al, 2020). The quick distribution of wrong information and news through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram became an important worry of the public and government health agencies (Abd-Alrazaq et al, 2020). Wrong information and unauthentic activities about healthcare of pandemic COVID-19 situation are distributed in social media at an extraordinary step (Machado et al, 2020). Modifying the arrival of fake news and wrong information during the pandemic COVID-19 situation is vital, as misrepresentation and rumors generates panic, anxiety and fear between societies, prompting them to numerous mental health circumstances (Chen et al, 2020). Despite of taking social network for granted as a secondary medium, it must be used to transfer vital info. Numerous governments in worldwide have taken activities against the rumors about this pandemic time, thus methods are needed to avoid such interaction difficulties. Generally, a pandemic outbreak of communicable disease can’t be forecasted in a specific area, province or phase (Chan et al, 2020). The misrepresentation, misinterpretation, or fake news can suggestively ruin the interactive reaction and increase anxiety within the public. However, the data rises quickly via social networking platform, it is essential to observe media and handle the wrong information (Machado et al, 2020). Social networking platform act as the prime source of flourishing with information about the novel corona virus (Li et al, 2020). The main disadvantage of social media amongst a difficult condition as the pandemic COVID-19 situation is that social networking platform has been expediently applied as a method to transfer wrong information and fake or misinterpretation (Emanuel et al, 2020). Later the arrival of social networking sites like as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram etc the material communication in disaster situations has augmented internationally at several stages. Fig.1 shows the main function of social media. Social networking platform gives a place for manifesting individuals’ opinion and views, which can be unpredictable and delicate during a serious condition like as pandemic COVID-19 situation (Basch et al, 2020) . Wrong information on this COVID-19 pandemic time are spreading quickly via social media and the internet, thus altering public behavior during the epidemic. These fake information requires consideration for improving emotional awareness, improvising the emergency reactions and associate judgment making (Basch et al, 2020).

Figure 1.

Basic function of social media