Infodemic- A new rapidly evolving virtual communicable pandemic with global threat! Hypothetical or real?

Shital Patil 1, *, Gajanan Gondhali 2, Shubham Choudhari 3, Jayashri Dahiphale 3, Sanika Narkar 3 and Vipul Raka 3

1 Associate Professor, Pulmonary Medicine, MIMSR Medical College, Venkatesh Hospital, Latur, India.
2 Professor, Internal Medicine, MIMSR Medical College, Latur India.
3 Junior Resident, Internal Medicine, MIMSR Medical college, Latur, India.
 
Review
World Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical and Medical Research, 2023, 04(02), 012–031.
Article DOI: 10.53346/wjapmr.2023.4.2.0023
Publication history: 
Received on 07 March 2023; revised on 20 April 2023; accepted on 22 April 2023
 
Abstract: 
‘Infodemic’ is a pandemic of misinformation spread in a pandemic manner regarding health issues of global concern. Globally, Infodemic is rapidly rising and more adverse outcomes are observed in social, economic and family lives. Infodemic is reported first time during SARS in 2003 & now during evolution of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Infodemic is more rapidly spreading pandemic than any communicable disease due to its ultrafast method of transmission by means of electronic & social media in the form of print or digital platform. Here, in Infodemic, the culprit is ‘misinformation’ spread without any scientific evidence regarding health issues of global concern. During COVID-19 pandemic infodemic evolved parallel with actual natural viral disaster and documented comparable effects on mankind globally. Infodemic is considered a global issue of concern for this decade. Infodemic in COVID-19 pandemic was documented as source of agent to cause & its evolution globally, available treatment options such as Remdesivir and its safety with efficacy & lastly, COVID-19 vaccines and its role in preventing and protecting COVID-19 disease with adverse events. Infodemic needs more stringent steps to control before its evolution, which includes active involvement of health experts, medical scientists, government agencies and trust organizations working worldwide. Timely shared right and scientifically evidenced proof information is a key step in controlling misinformation and ‘infodemic’.
 
Keywords: 
COVID-19; Infodemic; Electronic and social media; Trust organizations; Medical experts; Vaccine; Remdesivir
 
Full text article in PDF: