Social Listening Report Number 53: 13 June 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 53: 13 June 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- June 13, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was still lifted. The report highlited that structural inequality in South Africa has worsened Covid-19 outcomes for poorer communities, especially Black South Africans, who faced higher infection and mortality rates due to crowded living conditions and limited access to intensive care. There was a mental health crisis reported suggesting that the pandemic, lockdowns, and recent natural disasters (e.g., KZN floods) have led to a rise in mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, highlighting the need for more mental health support.
- Misinformation by Period
- It was falsely claimed that Covid-19 vaccines caused infertility, cancer, or a condition called VAIDS (Vaccine Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Some believed vaccines contained microchips used for tracking people. Monkeypox was wrongly associated with Covid-19 vaccines, with claims that the disease was either caused by the vaccine or was a cover-up for vaccine side effects. Ivermectin was promoted as a cure or preventive treatment for Covid-19.
- Suggested Recommendations
- Authorities were advised to work closely with local communities, using trusted voices and grassroots networks to build trust and encourage vaccine uptake. Training and equipping local health workers with accurate, up-to-date information was recommended to help them counter misinformation and support informed decision-making. Recommendations were suggested to involve influencers and community leaders to amplify accurate information. Mobile clinics, door-to-door campaigns, and flexible hours were recommended to make vaccination more accessible
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 3 979 126
- Cumulative Deaths
- 101 509
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 536 565
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 856 957
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 36 578 038
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- Herkulaas Combrink
- William Bird and Peter Benjamin
- Stakeholders
- National Health Hotline: Reports from the national call centre
- Org: NDOH Covid-19 WhatsApp system
- WHO Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA)
- UNICEF: digital analysis of content on Google, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, and digital news
- SA Red Cross: Network of over 2,000 community volunteers reporting misinformation and concerns.
- Real 411 Media Monitoring Africa: a mis- and disinformation reporting and debunking initiative
- COVID Comms: a network of communications specialists that produces information on the pandemic.
- DOH Free State & KZN: Provincial Departments of Health
- Health Systems Trust, Community Constituency Front (CCF),
- Health Enabled
- Centre for Communication Impact, Centre for Analytics & Behavioural Change
- Medical Research Council, National Institute for Communicable Diseases,
- SA Vaccination and Immunisation Centre, HSRC, DG Murray Trust, Right to Care
- Universities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Free State, Wits, Stellenbosch, Sefako Makgatho
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