ArticleJMIR formative research2021
COVID-19-Induced Fear in Infoveillance Studies: Pilot Meta-analysis Study of Preliminary Results.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Stillbirth Discourse on Instagram and X (Formerly Twitter): Content Analysis.JMIR infodemiology · 2025Article
- Emotional Analysis of Twitter Posts During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: Infoveillance Study.JMIR formative research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe World Health Organization named the phenomenon of misinformation spread through social media as an "infodemic" and recognized the need to curb it. Misinformation infodemics undermine not only population safety but also compliance to the suggestions and prophylactic measures recommended during pandemics.
objectiveThe aim of this pilot study is to review the impact of social media on general population fear in "infoveillance" studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsThe PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol was followed, and 6 out of 20 studies were retrieved, meta-analyzed, and had their findings presented in the form of a forest plot.
resultsThe summary random and significant event rate was 0.298 (95% CI 0.213-0.400), suggesting that social media-circulated misinformation related to COVID-19 triggered public fear and other psychological manifestations. These findings merit special attention by public health authorities.
conclusionsInfodemiology and infoveillance are valid tools in the hands of epidemiologists to help prevent dissemination of false information, which has potentially damaging effects.
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