Rising Above Misinformation or Fake News in Africa: Another Strategy to Control COVID-19 Spread

Rising Above Misinformation or Fake News in Africa: Another Strategy to Control COVID-19 Spread

Thomas Schack, Edward Kwabena Ameyaw, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, John Elvis Hagan

Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually gaining much popularity and amplifying the threat facing humanity about the continuous spread of the virus regardless of one's location. Although some of the influx of these falsehoods may be harmless, others might pose a serious threat by misleading the general population to depend on unjustified and/unsubstantiated claims for protection and show preference for them against scientifically proven guidelines. This paper provides a clear understanding on some COVID-19 misinformation, the inherent implications this poses to public health in Africa and highlights the potential strategies to curb this trend.

2020

Africa, mass media, fake news, Misinformation, COVID-19

DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2020.00045

Frontiers in Communication

Frontiers Media S.A.

Communication. Mass media