Overview of 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