Infodemiological study on COVID-19 epidemic and COVID-19 infodemic

Abstract

Background Less aligned emphasis has been given to the COVID-19 infodemic coordinating with the COVID-19 outbreak. Global profusion of tangled monikers and hashtags has found their ways in daily communication and contributed to backlash against Chinese. Official naming efforts against infodemic should be meet with a fair share of identification. Based on brief critical reviews on previous multifarious naming practices, we punctuate heuristic introspection in scientific conventions and sociocultural paradigms. Methods Infodemiological analysis promises to articulate that people around the globe are divided in their favor stigmatized monikers in the public and scientific communities because of perceptual bias. Results There is no positive correlation between the degree of infection in their territories and collective perceptual bias against COVID-19. The official portfolio “COVID-19” and “SARS-CoV-2” has not become de facto standard usages, but full-fledged official names are excepted to duly contribute to the resilience of negative perceptual bias and collective behavioral propensities amid public panic. Conclusions As an integral component of preparedness, appropriate nomenclatures should be duly assigned to the newly identified coronavirus and caused respiratory tract disease in humans amid global public health crisis.