Infodemic is the latest buzz term that we have been listening to and reading about in the last two years. Infodemic comes from two words: information and epidemic. It is the quick and vast-reaching spread of both correct and wrong information about a particular topic. Facts, rumors, and fears get mixed and spread all over, and thus, it becomes very difficult to understand important information about a problem area.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in India, there were a lot of rumors and fake stories being spread on the internet as well as social media and other media channels about how deadly the disease is. Many even claimed that the disease outbreak is a symbol of the world ending as it spreads like a wildfire and finished off everyone who gets the virus.
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With the government officials coming up with various laws and videos and announcements to not believe in WhatsApp forwards about the vaccine efficiency and go ahead and take up the COVID-19 vaccination at the nearest centres, the common public was relieved of the information stress that was making them feel like the world ending on a daily basis.
Also, there were many reports that claimed that the actual death toll due to the COVID-19 outbreak is many times higher, it was quite challenging for people to even live at peace in their own homes. Even if any family member used to cough or sneeze, people used to get afraid of the risk of catching the virus, such became the mentality of people.
People lived and are living in constant fear of new rules, restrictions, and the uncertainty that life has brought them into due to losing their loved ones and known ones in the pandemic. This stage of people’s minds has been due to the infodemic outbreak in the country on the disease. If there was only one accurate source of information with no other media theories, life would have been quite simpler for common people.
