Overview of coronavirus online discussions in Sub-Saharan Africa
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads within Sub Saharan Africa, people take to social media to mostly reshare mainstream news reports on global trends of the epidemic, posts by influential personalities who have been infected and are battling the outbreak, actions being taken by government to curb the spread, information on precautionary measures and impact on key sectors including the economy and education. There are also concerns over misinformation, with the case of “chloroquine” being a specific example – driven by reports from the US including conflicting statements by President Trump, of the drug being a possible cure for the coronavirus disease.
