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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Commun.
Sec. Health Communication
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2025.1560936
This article is part of the Research TopicHealth Misinformation: Examining Its Presence and Impact across Communication ContextsView all 8 articles
Unravelling the Infodemic: A Systematic Review of Misinformation Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Provisionally accepted
Sudip Bhattacharya1*
Alok Singh2- 1All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar (AIIMS Deoghar), Deoghar, India
- 2Assistant Professor-Faculty of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SGT University,, Gurugram, India
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused both a health crisis and a rise in misinformation, known as the "infodemic," which led to fear, confusion, and distrust. This review looks at the reasons behind the spread of misinformation, including psychological, technological, and social factors. It explains how digital platforms promote false information through algorithms and how people's emotions and thinking patterns influence their belief in and sharing of misinformation. The review also examines how misinformation spreads worldwide and the role of laws in controlling its impact. One key finding is the need for more transparency in online algorithms to reduce the spread of misleading content. Understanding why people believe and share misinformation is important for creating effective solutions. The review highlights the need for global cooperation in research and policy-making and stresses the importance of community efforts to help those most affected by misinformation. It also looks at the effectiveness of policies like government regulations and public education while balancing misinformation control with freedom of speech. By combining insights from technology, psychology, and policy, this review offers a broad approach to tackling misinformation. Building trust in science, strengthening information systems, and reducing the harm caused by misinformation are crucial for handling health crises and future challenges.
Keywords: infodemic, misinformation, COVID-19, Pandemics, Health Communication, Social Media, Public Health, Epidemiology
Received: 15 Jan 2025; Accepted: 11 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bhattacharya and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sudip Bhattacharya, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar (AIIMS Deoghar), Deoghar, India
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.