Social Listening Report Number 54: 20 June 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 54: 20 June 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- June 20, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was still lifted. Social media showed a growing concern about monkeypox despite no confirmed cases in South Africa at the time. Public interest in COVID-19 had waned, with many expressing exhaustion. Online discussions about COVID-19 and its vaccines was dropping. Data showed poorer communities, especially Black South Africans, were disproportionately affected. Lastly, social media reflected strong anti-vaccine sentiment.
- Misinformation by Period
- There was misinformation related to monkeypox origins many believed that monkeypox was caused by COVID-19 vaccines or a manufactured virus. There was misinformation that suggested that ivermectin was a COVID-19 cure. Misinformation circulated that vaccines caused infertility and erectile dysfunction. A conspiracy theory suggested vaccines contained microchips for tracking people.
- Suggested Recommendations
- Authorities were advised to provide clear, factual information to calm public fears about monkeypox and correct misconceptions linking it to Covid-19 vaccines. It was recommended that communication efforts highlight that over half of South African adults had been vaccinated. Health communicators were urged to actively debunk false claims
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 3 986 892
- Cumulative Deaths
- 101 620
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 537 627
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 871 421
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 36 720 111
- Geographical Region
- Globally
- Curators of the report
- 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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