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Corona Virus (COVID-19) “Infodemic” and Emerging Issues through a Data Lens: The Case of China

Author

Listed:
  • Jinling Hua

    (Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0082, Japan)

  • Rajib Shaw

    (Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0082, Japan)

Abstract

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a humanitarian emergency, which started in Wuhan in China in early December 2019, brought into the notice of the authorities in late December, early January 2020, and, after investigation, was declared as an emergency in the third week of January 2020. The WHO declared this as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 31th of January 2020, and finally a pandemic on 11th March 2020. As of March 24th, 2020, the virus has caused a casualty of over 16,600 people worldwide with more than 380,000 people confirmed as infected by it, of which more than 10,000 cases are serious. Mainly based on Chinese newspapers, social media and other digital platform data, this paper analyzes the timeline of the key actions taken by the government and people over three months in five different phases. It found that although there was an initial delay in responding, a unique combination of strong governance, strict regulation, strong community vigilance and citizen participation, and wise use of big data and digital technologies, were some of the key factors in China’s efforts to combat this virus. Being inviable and non-measurable (unlike radioactive exposure), appropriate and timely information is very important to form the basic foundation of mitigation and curative measures. Infodemic, as it is termed by WHO, is a key word, where different stakeholder’s participation, along with stricter regulation, is required to reduce the impact of fake news in this information age and social media. Although different countries will need different approaches, focusing on its humanitarian nature and addressing infodemic issues are the two critical factors for future global mitigation efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Jinling Hua & Rajib Shaw, 2020. "Corona Virus (COVID-19) “Infodemic” and Emerging Issues through a Data Lens: The Case of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:7:p:2309-:d:338615
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tuyen Van Duong & Khue M. Pham & Binh N. Do & Giang B. Kim & Hoa T. B. Dam & Vinh-Tuyen T. Le & Thao T. P. Nguyen & Hiep T. Nguyen & Trung T. Nguyen & Thuy T. Le & Hien T. T. Do & Shwu-Huey Yang, 2020. "Digital Healthy Diet Literacy and Self-Perceived Eating Behavior Change during COVID-19 Pandemic among Undergraduate Nursing and Medical Students: A Rapid Online Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Huan Liu & Qiang Chen & Richard Evans, 2022. "How Official Social Media Affected the Infodemic among Adults during the First Wave of COVID-19 in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Vibhas Sukhwani & Sameer Deshkar & Rajib Shaw, 2020. "COVID-19 Lockdown, Food Systems and Urban–Rural Partnership: Case of Nagpur, India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Yuk-Chiu Yip & Ka-Huen Yip & Wai-King Tsui, 2022. "Psychological Experiences of Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) during and after Hospitalization: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Hongyue Zhang & Rajib Shaw, 2020. "Identifying Research Trends and Gaps in the Context of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-17, May.
    6. Wei-Po Chou & Peng-Wei Wang & Shiou-Lan Chen & Yu-Ping Chang & Chia-Fen Wu & Wei-Hsin Lu & Cheng-Fang Yen, 2020. "Voluntary Reduction of Social Interaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Related Factors and Association with Perceived Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-12, October.
    7. Wijitbusaba Marome & Rajib Shaw, 2021. "COVID-19 Response in Thailand and Its Implications on Future Preparedness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-10, January.
    8. Masoomeh Maarefvand & Samaneh Hosseinzadeh & Ozra Farmani & Atefeh Safarabadi Farahani & Jagdish Khubchandani, 2020. "Coronavirus Outbreak and Stress in Iranians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-11, June.
    9. Aloyce R. Kaliba & Donald R. Andrews, 2023. "The Impact of Meso-Level Factors on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Early Hesitancy in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-27, July.
    10. Han Lv & Xueyan Cao & Shiqi Chen & Liqun Liu, 2022. "Public and Private Information Sharing under “New Normal” of COVID-19: Understanding the Roles of Habit and Outcome Expectation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-26, May.
    11. Taixiang Duan & Zhonggen Sun & Guoqing Shi, 2021. "Sustained Effects of Government Response on the COVID-19 Infection Rate in China: A Multiple Mediation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-16, November.

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