Assessment of Social Media Impact in Curbing the Spread of Covid-19 Pandemic

Naeem Atanda Balogun, Samuel Tope Folade, Adeyinka Adedoyin, Latifat Ibrahim, Hassan Abubakar, Yahaya Isah Shehu

Abstract


The COVID-19 Pandemic had made citizens turn to social media for information rather than the official websites of the organization responsible for health and disease control such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Centers for Disease Control (NCDC). Social media could be used as a tool, to disseminate any kind of information:  correct or false about the disease and sometimes misleading during any outbreak. Premised on the usefulness of social media, this study assesses the impact of social media to avoid the spread of Covid-19. This study emphasized students’ perspectives of the disease, their information-seeking behavior, and awareness that necessitates a decrease in physical movement, and increased use of social media as a means of communication. Three hundred and eighty-two students of University of Ilorin participated in the study. The students’ level of study ranges, from 100-level to 500-level SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the data. The study found social media to play an important role on the spread of Covid-19 by reducing movement through aiding online communication in order to stop transmission of the virus and serve as a means for awareness and information gathering during the lockdown.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Adebimpe, W. O., Adeyemi, D. H., Faremi, A., Ojo, J. O. & Efuntoye, A. E. (2015). The relevance of the social networking media in Ebola virus disease prevention and control in Southwestern Nigeria. Pan African Medical Journal, 22(1). Retrieved on January 26, 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.11694/pamj.supp.2015.22.1.6165

Ahmad, A. R., & Murad, H. R. (2020). The impact of social media on panic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraqi Kurdistan: Online questionnaire study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(5). https://preprint.jmir.org/preprint/19556.

Ajide, K. B, Ibrahim, R.L, & Alimi, O.Y. (2020). Estimating the impacts of lockdown on Covid-19 cases in Nigeria. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Available at: https://africaC.D.C.org/disease-outbreak/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-global-epidemic-11-february-2020/

Akinmayowa, S., Amzat, J., (2020). Rapid Public Health Enlightenment (RPHE) to Curb the Continued Spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Medical Anthropology. https://medanthucl.com/2020/04/25/rapid-public-health-enlightenment-rphe-to-curb-the-continued-spread-of-covid-19-in-nigeria/

Akor, O., Jimoh, A., John-Mensah O., Ramoni R., & Oke J. (2020). Nigeria “not testing enough people” as COVID-19 spreads. Daily Trust. Retrieved on January 26, 2022. Available at https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nigeria-not-testing-enough-people-as-covid-19-spreads.html

Akpan, S. (2021). Nigerians were truly united against COVID-19’ — NCDC marks one year of response. The Cable news. Retrieved on January 18, 2022. Available at: https://www.thecable.ng/nigerians-were-truly-united-against-covid-19-ncdc-marks-one-year-of-response

Amzat, J., Aminu, K., Kolo, V. I., Akinyele, A. A., Ogundairo, J. A., & Danjibo, M. C. (2020). Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria: Burden and socio-medical response during the first 100 days. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 98, 218–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.067

Balogun, N. A., Isimikalu, M. I., & Adedoyin, A. (2022): Students’ perception on learning management system on students’ study habit during covid-19. FUDMA journal of sciences. 6(6), 331-335. From https://fjs.fudutsinma.edu.ng/index.php/fjs/article/view/1170/1021

Balogun, N., A., Adeleke,F., A., Abdulrahaman, M., D., Shehu, Y., I. and Adedoyin, A. (2023). Undergraduate students’ perception on e-learning systems during COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. HELIYON, 9(3), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14549

Chouhan, V., Vasita, M., L. and Goswami, S. (2020). The impact and role of social media for consciousness of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of content, community and communication, 12(6) 250-262. https://www.amity.edu/gwalior/jccc/pdf/dec_23.pdf

Cucinotta D, Vanelli M., (2020). WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic? PubMed.gov Acta Biomed. 91(1), 157-160.

DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Neuman, W. R., & Robinson, J. P. (2001). Social implications of the internet. Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 307–336. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.307

Hwang TJ, Rabheru K, Peisah C, Reichman W, Ikeda M (2020). Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int Psychogeriatr. 32(10):1217-1220.

Iannello, P., Cancer, A., Antonietti, A., Salvi, C., McClay, M., Rago, S., & Dunsmoor, J. E. (2021). Going viral: How fear, socio-cognitive polarization and problem-solving influence fake news Detection and Proliferation during COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Communication, 5, 1-16.

Ifijeh, M. (2020). COVID19: Lagos Establishes Sample Collection Centres in 20 LGAs. THISDAYLIVE. Retrieved on April 19, 2020. Available at https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/04/19/covid19-lagos-establishes-sample-collection-centres-in-20-lgas/

Jefferson T., Del Mar CB, Dooley L, Ferroni E, Al-Ansary LA, Bawazeer GA, van Driel ML, Nair S, Jones MA, Thorning S, Conly J.M. (2011). Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Cochrane Library. 10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub4

Kalu, B. (2020). COVID-19 in Nigeria: a disease of hunger. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 8(6), 556–557. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600 (20)30220-4

Maragakis, L. (2020). Coronavirus, social and physical distancing and self-quarantine. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved on February 23, 2022. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-social-distancing-and-self-quarantine#:~:text=Wear%20a%20face%20mask%20or,are%20likely%20to%20draw%20crowds.

Michael, I. (2020). COVID-19: Gombe Set to Establish Testing Center. Tribune Online. Retrieved on January 29, 2022. Available at https://tribuneonlineng.com/covid-19-gombe-set-to-establish-testing-centre/

Muanya, C., Olaiya T., Afolabi A. (2020). Fear as COVID-19 cases rise amid relaxed lockdowns. Retrieved on January 16, 2022. Available at https://guardian.ng/news/fear-as-covid-19-cases-rise-amid-relaxed-lockdowns/

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2022). Coronaviruses. Retrieved on January 23, 2022. Available at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/coronaviruses

News Agency of Nigeria (2020). FG Bans Inter-State Movement of COVID-19 patients. Vanguard News. Retrieved on January 22, 2022. Available at https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/04/fg-bans-inter-state-movement-of-covid-19-patients/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (2020). COVID-19 Outbreak in Nigeria: Situation Reports. https://ncdc.gov.ng/diseases/sitreps

Obi-Ani, N.A., Anikwenze, C. & Isiani, M.C. (2020). Social media and the Covid-19 pandemic: Observations from Nigeria, Cogent Arts & Humanities, 7(1). From 10.1080/23311983.2020.1799483

Onat Kocabiyik, O. (2021). Social media usage experiences of young adults during the COVID 19 pandemic through social cognitive approach to uses and gratifications. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science (IJTES), 5(3), 447-462. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.226

Savrum, Y. M., & Leon, M. (2015). The role of the media in conflict, peace building and international relations. International Journal on World Peace, 32(4), 13–34.

WHO (2020a). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions. World Health Organization, Retrieved on February 23, 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions

WHO (2020b). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 72. World Health Organization, Retrieved on February 17, 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200401-sitrep-72-covid-19.pdf


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.