Researchers used algorithms to record surges in interest in health topics on Reddit, a popular and up-to-date online comment board, during the COVID-19 pandemic. They said insights from the data could be used to help public health officials understand and manage people’s health concerns and prevent the proliferation of misinformation.
They suggested, for example, that pairing the release of federal guidance on enjoying parks and other outdoor activities to coincide with peak interest on that topic would have made for more timely action.
“Having a source like Reddit that is directly tied to people’s thoughts could prove invaluable in crafting plans that meet people where they are,” Daniel Stokes, one of the study’s researchers, said in a news release.
Mr. Stokes’ team said that monitoring of online health discussions could also have led public health officials to address myths about the virus before they spread widely.
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