Text mining online disinformation about antihypertensive agents ACEI/ARB and COVID-19 on Sina Weibo

Background The global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has caused a signifi-cant social and economic burden, with over 4.7 million confirmed cases and thousands of casualties. Moreover, pandemic-related misinformation and dis-information on social media platforms have led to intense psychosocial issues. We investigated online disinformation about angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) drugs and their relation-ship to COVID-19 on Sina Weibo. Methods We searched for posts related to the pandemic from its beginning in December 2019 to 19 January 2021. We used text mining to identify content related to antihypertensive agents ACEI/ARB can increase COVID-19. Results We found 82 posts spreading disinformation and 44 posts dispelling disinformation. The former had 535 clicks and concerns and 31 comments, and was forwarded 98 times. Of the 82 posts spreading disinformation, 15.9% (n = 13) contained pseudo-scientific information, 24.4% (n = 20) contained au-thoritative releases, and 75.6% (n = 62) contained normal personal releases. Most disinformation posts (n = 61 (74.3%)) were published from 16 February 2020 to 16 March 2020, and 12.2% (n = 10) were published from 1 February 2021 to 16 March 2021. Among the 44 dispelling disinformation posts, ap-proximately 57.1% of the comments were in support, and 42.9% were opposed or invalid. Nearly half of the users were confused or superstitious about the disinformation. Conclusions The disinformation about ACEI/ARB increasing the opportunity for COVID-19 infection during the pandemic was based on clinical mechanisms and scientific evidence intended for hypertensive patients taking long-term medication. It was packaged in a pseudo-scientific shell, leading to confusion and panic among patients. This disinformation harmed COVID-19 prevention efforts, damaged mental health, and possibly led to harmful behaviours. In fu-ture crises, the spread of rumours should be stopped quickly and effectively.

Automated summary

The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant social and economic burden, with misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms contributing to psychosocial issues. A study on Sina Weibo found 82 posts spreading disinformation about ACEI/ARB drugs and their relation to COVID-19, and 44 posts dispelling this misinformation. The dissemination of false information harmed COVID-19 prevention efforts and caused confusion and panic among patients.