Studying misinformation surrounding COVID-19 in Hispanic communities

Abstract

This study will investigate the effects of COVID-19 misinformation spread in Hispanic communities in Wichita, KS. The pandemic saw a rise in the spread of false information through social media, which is well documented in English studies, but Spanish web pages are frequently overlooked. Often there is a delay in the removal of misinformation regarding COVID-19 in languages other than English. Consequently, Spanish medical interpreters facing the stress of an increased number of patients in the pandemic cannot rely on information from the web. This combination of negative effects emphasizes the need for availability of Spanish medical interpreters. Overall, limited English proficiency and a lack of ability to effectively communicate with a healthcare provider in Spanish decrease trust between patient and provider, as well as overall knowledge of the care being received. The study will be conducted through surveys containing questions about experiences in medical settings regarding COVID-19. The survey will be circulated among students at Wichita State University. Preliminary results of the study suggest that among social media sources, trust is placed in only verified accounts, and that the validity of news sources may be called into question. Among bilingual speakers, there seems to be up-todate knowledge of CDC policies, as well as access to COVID-19 resources in both languages. The goal of the study is that the experiences collected through these surveys will help understand the effects of COVID-19 misinformation, and provide insight into ways of preventing such spread in Hispanic communities in and around Wichita.