Information Consumption During Covid – 19

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, only two months after its discovery in Wuhan. This pervasiveness and the epidemic's detrimental effects have seen verified and unverified information avalanche which attempted to help prevent, control and define the disease.

The study focused on three objectives. First, it determines how consumption of information relating to coronavirus occurred, focusing on the type and nature of the information utilized and its rationale. Second, it examines the impact of information consumption on preventive practices. Third, it evaluates the effect of gender and age on the consumption of information relating to coronavirus.

The study adopted a cross-sectional online survey based on quantitative methods. The study included 400 participants from various regions of the world. The data were then subjected to analysis using SPSS.

The research analysis has been shaped by Pearson’s Correlation, Coefficient, Percentage, and Frequency which have been used to derive the information consumption rate during the pandemic.

Information consumption was influenced by variables such as age and gender. The participants below the age of 40 years used social media as the source of information.

Participants above the age of 40 years favored legacy media like print and television. The study also evaluated the use of the information and found that most people sought the information to come up with preventive measures to protect them against the disease.