Identifying the players communicating about Covid-19 on Twitter at the beginning of the epidemic. Analysis of the messages and rumours spread

Abstract

The covid-19 global epidemic was the first of its kind. It caused an unprecedented economic and health crisis which have led governments to take heavy public health measures that have never seen before. Our study is based on analyses led on Twitter social network between 08/12/2019 and 20/02/2020: period corresponding to the beginning of this pandemic. The actors
who speak about on Twitter and the messages or rumors posted have been analyzed. Several categories of protagonists were involved in these debates: citizens, experts, health organizations, politics and medias. The citizen has rapidly felt concerned about this highly mediatized epidemic and conveyed, through Twitter, rumors, fake news but also validated information. Both experts
and health organizations have published prevention messages and highlighted the latest scientific advancements. For their part, the media covered news whom reflects the citizen’s preoccupations. Actors can be divided into two main groups: Those who served education, sensibilization and prevention missions and those, more alarmists, who spread distress messages — sometimes
without basis — and feed the anxiety-generating climate. In conclusion, Twitter was, in France and at the beginning of the covid-19 epidemic, the relay of many fear and anxiety related discussions which presumed the global health crisis and their known-consequences.