TY  - JOUR
AU  - Hou, Zhiyuan
AU  - Du, Fanxing
AU  - Zhou, Xinyu
AU  - Jiang, Hao
AU  - Martin, Sam
AU  - Larson, Heidi
AU  - Lin, Leesa
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/8/3
TI  - Cross-Country Comparison of Public Awareness, Rumors, and Behavioral Responses to the COVID-19 Epidemic: Infodemiology Study
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e21143
VL  - 22
IS  - 8
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - internet
KW  - surveillance
KW  - infodemic
KW  - infodemiology
KW  - infoveillance
KW  - Google Trends
KW  - public response
KW  - behavior
KW  - rumor
KW  - trend
AB  - Background: Understanding public behavioral responses to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic and the accompanying infodemic is crucial to controlling the epidemic. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess real-time public awareness and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 epidemic across 12 selected countries. Methods: Internet surveillance was used to collect real-time data from the general public to assess public awareness and rumors (China: Baidu; worldwide: Google Trends) and behavior responses (China: Ali Index; worldwide: Google Shopping). These indices measured the daily number of searches or purchases and were compared with the numbers of daily COVID-19 cases. The trend comparisons across selected countries were observed from December 1, 2019 (prepandemic baseline) to April 11, 2020 (at least one month after the governments of selected countries took actions for the pandemic). Results: We identified missed windows of opportunity for early epidemic control in 12 countries, when public awareness was very low despite the emerging epidemic. China's epidemic and the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern did not prompt a worldwide public reaction to adopt health-protective measures; instead, most countries and regions only responded to the epidemic after their own case counts increased. Rumors and misinformation led to a surge of sales in herbal remedies in China and antimalarial drugs worldwide, and timely clarification of rumors mitigated the rush to purchase unproven remedies. Conclusions: Our comparative study highlights the urgent need for international coordination to promote mutual learning about epidemic characteristics and effective control measures as well as to trigger early and timely responses in individual countries. Early release of official guidelines and timely clarification of rumors led by governments are necessary to guide the public to take rational action. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - https://www.jmir.org/2020/8/e21143
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/21143
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32701460
DO  - 10.2196/21143
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/21143
ER  -