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Analysis of COVID-19 Name Varieties in Chinese Mass and Social Media

Author

Listed:
  • Hongjie Dong

    (School of Liberal Arts, Xi’an University, Xi’an 710065, China)

  • Minli Zhou

    (Department of Liberal Arts, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou 510303, China)

  • Dewei Che

    (Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

  • Huiying Zhang

    (School of Liberal Arts, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, China)

  • Adams Bodomo

    (Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria)

Abstract

The sudden appearance of a new epidemic disease in China created the need for names identifying that disease. Between December 2019 and January 2020, a variety of severe pneumonia-related disease names suddenly appeared, and more name varieties kept coming up afterwards. To better understand the introduction and spread of these names, 16 different COVID-19-related name varieties were selected covering the period from the end of December 2019, when the epidemic started, to mid-March 2020, a moment at which the term competition had stabilized. By way of big data analysis, the initiation and distribution of the 16 names across the media landscape was traced with regard to the impact of different media platforms, while the distribution frequency of each of the selected terms was mapped, resulting in a distinction of three groups of disease names, each with a different media and time profile. The results were discussed based on the hypotheses of disease confusion by name variety and management failures in absence of clear language governance at the national and global levels. The analysis of the data led to a refutation of both hypotheses. Based on this discussion, the study offers empirically based suggestions for the WHO in their naming practices and further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Hongjie Dong & Minli Zhou & Dewei Che & Huiying Zhang & Adams Bodomo, 2021. "Analysis of COVID-19 Name Varieties in Chinese Mass and Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9850-:d:638638
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ana Reyes-Menendez & Marisol B. Correia & Nelson Matos & Charlene Adap, 2020. "Understanding Online Consumer Behavior and eWOM Strategies for Sustainable Business Management in the Tourism Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-14, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hua Guo & Jiandong Zhang & Shihui Feng & Boyin Chen & Minhong Wang, 2022. "Risk Communication in the Alert Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of News Flow at National and Global Levels," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, August.

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