Sabrina L Jin, Jessica Kolis, Jessica Parker, Dylan A Proctor, Dimitri Prybylski, Claire Wardle, Neetu Abad, Kathryn A Brookmeyer, Christopher Voegeli, Howard Chiou
Recognition of misinformation as a public health threat and interest in infodemics, defined as an inundation of information accompanying an epidemic or acute health event, have increased worldwide. However, scientists have no consensus on how to best define and identify misinformation and other essential characteristics of infodemics. We conducted a narrative review of secondary historical sources to examine previous infodemics in relation to four infectious diseases associated with pandemics (ie, smallpox, cholera, 1918 influenza, and HIV) and challenge the assumption that misinformation is a new phenomenon associated with increased use of social media or with the COVID-19 pandemic...
April 19, 2024: Lancet Infectious Diseases