Social Listening Report Number 74: 07 November 2022
- Title
- Social Listening Report Number 74: 07 November 2022
- Type of Report
- Social Listening Report
- Date
- November 7, 2022
- Key Trends In the Report
- The national state of disaster was lifted. There had been persistent public concern about whether COVID-19 vaccines caused strokes. Many South Africans had expressed uncertainty about booster eligibility, particularly for those under 55. COVID-19 cases had steadily increased in four provinces ahead of the festive season. The National Health Hotline had seen a drop in call volumes. A study estimating that vaccines had prevented nearly 20 million deaths globally had been misrepresented by sceptics, who falsely claimed the same number had died from the vaccines.
- Misinformation by Period
- It had been falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines caused diabetes, heart attacks, and made people more vulnerable to severe illness. Some individuals had spread the idea that long COVID was actually a side effect of the vaccine. A misinterpretation of a global study had led to the false belief that 20 million people had died from vaccines, when in fact the study had shown that vaccines had prevented that number of deaths. Doubts had been cast on the accuracy of PCR tests, with some claiming they were unreliable or manipulated to inflate case numbers.
- Suggested Recommendations
- The RCCE Technical Working Group had continued to encourage the public to get vaccinated and boosted, emphasising that COVID-19 was not yet over. Public education efforts had focused on how to report side effects following vaccination. People had been advised to use the MedSafety App, email the Department of Health, or call the hotline to report any adverse reactions and receive guidance on next steps. In response to rising measles cases, especially in Limpopo, the RCCE team had supported provincial efforts by producing educational materials, mobilising communities, and engaging with parents to ensure children received their vaccinations.
- Lockdown Level
- The National State of Disaster lifted
- Cumulative Cases
- 4 029 942
- Cumulative Deaths
- 104 462
- Cumulative Hospitalisations
- 544 438
- Cumulative Recoveries
- 3 925 480
- Total number of vaccines administered to date
- 37 847 814
- Geographical Region
- Africa (South Africa)
- Curators of the report
- Charity Bhengu (NDOH)
- Herkulaas Combrink (UFS) and William Bird (Real 411).
- 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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