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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.

coronavirus online discussions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Social Listening – Trends and Topics

Behavior change has also come into focus, as concerns around laxity, especially with social distancing, owing to the congested nature of many African communities/cities more so the informal settlements. Politicians have also been called out in some countries like Kenya due to their perceived carelessness, which has seen citizens directly exposed by politicians who have travelled abroad but failed to observe quarantine guidelines.

There was limited interest in Covid-19 & its threat in SSA before March 2020 when the 1st case was reported in Nigeria sparking intense online conversations.

Covid-19 was earlier reported in SSA as a China, then later, as a Europe issue. 1st case in Nigeria ‘brought home’ the reality of the threat, sparking conversations around the virus & its potential impact. See Trends

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