Prevalence and effect of misinformation on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods social media analysis

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an upward trend of medical misinformation circulating on social media. With the large reach of platforms like Twitter, misinformation can shape the opinions of masses on public health topics and behaviors. This study aims to assess the prevalence of misinformation on Twitter and its impact on the public through a concurrent mixed-methods design. In the quantitative component, we investigated the prevalence of misinformation on Twitter related to COVID-19 transmission, alternative treatments, and vaccines. Twitter shares for the most popular articles were collected at four time periods and misinformation was analyzed for temporal and topical changes. The qualitative component assessed the impact of misinformation by analyzing perspectives towards vaccine acceptance, mask adherence, and lockdown compliance on Twitter. Twitter articles regarding alternative COVID-19 treatments had the most misinformation (47.5%), followed by transmission (20.0%) and vaccines (8.8%). The prevalence of misinformation decreased over time for both alternative treatments and transmission. Conversely, vaccines displayed an increase in misinformation over time. Vaccine acceptance and mask adherence had considerable support; however, some individuals questioned the effectiveness of these measures. Lockdown compliance had mixed support as some supported the enhanced measures while others displayed frustration. Individuals showcased varying opinions on Twitter regarding their willingness to obey public health regulations. Overall, there was a high prevalence of misinformation regarding COVID-19 transmission, alternative treatments, and vaccines during the pandemic.