Misinformation about COVID-19 among internet users in Nigeria: Tools to effective public awareness, prevention and control

Abstract

Since the World Health Organization announced in early 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by an infodemic of misinformation, we are left with the question of public perspective-driven compliance to safety measures. This preliminary study evaluated some claims about COVID-19 including vaccine conspiracy theories among Nigerians with factors influencing it. An online structured questionnaire was designed to collect one-time data from voluntary participants. Demographically, major respondents were; bachelor: 284 (75.1%), age-group between 18 and 30 years: 312 (82.5%) and male: 207 (54.8%). Those that do not know the range of infected population in the country accounted for 260 (72.2%). In opinion, 57 (15.1%) supported that SARS-COV-2 cannot survive the warm climate of African continent, and 41 (10.8%) believed the hoax theory about COVID-19. Unapproved herbal medication was reported to be used by 251 (66.4%) of the respondents while 92 (24.3%) made use of Chloroquine. For transmission related conceptions, 52 (13.8%) indicated that an asymptomatic carrier cannot spread the virus to another healthy individual. About half of the respondents 182 (48.1%) suspected that SARS-COV-2 was an engineered virus and 173 (45.8%) supported that there are underlying negative intentions on the clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccines on Africans. There is a weak correlation between the demographic data of the respondents and the claims. The level of misconception Nigerians have about COVID-19 is a major concern. Thus, it is imperative to continuously engage in community awareness and education using proven facts about the virus, and its available prophylaxis measures in order to avoid the dangers that are associated with the prevailing misconceptions.

Keywords: Misinformation, Vaccine conspiracy, COVID-19, Compliance