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EDUMECENTRO 2022;14:e2086

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

Pandemia: infodemia y redes sociales

Pandemic: infodemic and social networks

 

César Abrahan Agüero Figueredo1* http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5993-1043

 

1 Holguín University of Medical Sciences. "Lucía Íñiguez" Clinical-Surgical Hospital. Holguin. Cuba.

 

* Author for correspondence. E- mail: abrahancesar1981@gmail.com

 

 

Submitted: 14/07/2021
Accepted: 16/02/2022

 

 

To editor:

Since the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was still an epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned that the world could be facing a serious public health problem, and that it would also be fighting against a global epidemic of information, faked at times on electronic platforms and other media.(1)

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the most used dissemination channels for the transmission of faked newsand misinformation were social networks, and our young people are their main consumers. The purpose of this letter is to briefly reflect on the role played by social networks in disseminating information in the context of COVID-19, and how the responsible use of them and other electronic platforms can contribute to the struggle against the pandemic.

In 2018, the WHO defined the infodemic as the rapid spread of information of all kinds, including rumors and unreliable information; that spreads instantly and internationally through the increasing use of mobile phones, social networks and other technologies.(1,2)

A consumer with limited abilities to decode the news in its full context would have few opportunities to authenticate it or little ability to understand it, due to its rapid change and constant broadcast.(2)

Initially, during the pandemic, a lot of information was transmitted through WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and other networks. Later, its dissemination spread to other media, sometimes motivated by hegemonic and geostrategic interests of domination.(3)

Llewellyn, cited by Arroyo-Sánchez et al.,(1) described that many of these news can sometimes start from a health specialist, who shares a warning, advice or news with a core of truth and provokes an emotional response in the reader, where fear or a state of alarm generate tensions. Then, in an effort to protect their loved ones and be useful to society, people share this message and spread ideas before being properly verified.

Cuba has not been immune to these two major problems, therefore it is the responsibility of health professionals to contribute to the dissemination of truthful information, scientifically proven and based on ethical and humanistic principles. In this sense, the health system has an extensive list of journals, many of them with international prestige, aimed at disseminating scientific work on the island. The use of these platforms constitutes an excellent setting for debate, learning and combating disinformation, which sometimes from social networks or other channels, seek to confuse the population in general.

EDUMECENTRO, like the rest of the country's medical journals, committed to professional improvement and especially dedicated to contributing to the improvement of university medical education, has published numerous articles that address issues related to both coping strategies and the management and behavior of the teaching-learning process in times of COVID-19. In this sense, the work "Training of professionals and other health workers for the hospital work against COVID-19" was of special interest and in line with the topic we are dealing with.(4) In that article, through six topics imparted to all health personnel of a hospital institution, participants are trained according to their profile in the hospital approach against the pandemic. However, from our point of view, it would have been interesting to have included a seventh topic that would show the necessary tools to fight the psychological damages that the infodemic is causing as an inseparable part of the pandemic from the digital sphere.

Pérez Guerrero et al.(5) in another article highlight the leading role of universities in preparing to face COVID-19, however, it would have been equally important to highlight the relevance of the timely use of electronic platforms; especially if one takes into account the almost massive use of social networks by young people and highly trained personnel in the universities.

As health professionals, whenever we are in the presence of any information related to the pandemic, we are obliged to verify the scientific rigor of the content and find a way, always from an educational and training perspective, to replicate that information. In this way we will contribute to the fight against misinformation and the emotional stress generated by this new information epidemic. We recommend readers, before disclosing any information related to the subject, stop to think about some questions, especially if the medium chosen for it is social networks:

  • Is the information chosen to replicate scientifically verified?
  • Is the message clear and unambiguous?
  • Are the sources chosen to extract this information truly reliable?
  • Is there a possibility of accompanying this information (although it can sometimes be alarming), with figures of deaths or seriously ill patients in one day or with data that generate confidence in health institutions and government management?

 

BIBLIOGRAIPHC REFERENCES

1. Arroyo-Sánchez AS, Cabrejo J, Cruzado M. Infodemia, la otra pandemia durante la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019. An Fac Med [Internet]. 2020 [citado 10/07/2021];81(2):[aprox. 3 p.]. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.15381/anales.v81i2.17793

2. Sánchez Duarte J, Magallón Rosa R. Infodemia y COVID-19. Evolución y viralización de informaciones falsas en España. Rev Esp Comun Salud [Internet]. 2020 [citado 10/07/2021];(supl 1):[aprox. 11 p.]. Disponible en: https://e-revistas.uc3m.es/index.php/RECS/article/view/5417/3923

3. Portero Alférez N. Las redes sociales y la COVID-19: herramientas para la infodemia. IEEE.es [Internet]. 2020. Madrid: Instituto español de Estudios Estratégicos; 2020. Disponible en: https://www.ieee.es/Galerias/fichero/docs_opinion/2020 /DIEEEO163_2020NURPOR_infodemiaCovid.pdf

4. Díaz Morales Y, Hidalgo Mesa CJ, Reyes Roque AC, Filgueira Morilla LM, Tamayo Díaz YB, Aguilera Calzadilla YA. Capacitación de profesionales y otros trabajadores de salud para el abordaje hospitalario contra la COVID-19. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2020 [citado 10/07/2021];12(3):[aprox. 16 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.revedumecentro.sld.cu/index.php/edumc/article/view/1604

5. Pérez Guerrero MC, Lozano Vega B. La universidad médica en el enfrentamiento a la COVID-19: retos que ha presupuesto. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2021 [citado 10/07/2021];13(2):[aprox. 5 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.revedumecentro.sld.cu/index.php/edumc/article/view/1635/pdf_590

 

 

Declaration of interests

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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