I choose social media platforms as a tool that I found having a strong impact on COVID-19 surveillance and response. Through social media, people can quickly become aware of an emerging disease and its characteristics by accessing information shared by public health authorities and their communities. For example, these platforms help spread awareness of symptoms and signs of COVID-19, when to seek testing, how to access vaccines, and updates on preventive measures. They also support real-time communication faster than traditional systems, although some people may still be left behind due to digital inequalities.
However, because of their huge impact, if not carefully managed, social media can also become a source of misinformation, such as from antivax people, or false treatment information. I think this is a big challenge today, and health authorities need to be more aware and proactive in monitoring and correcting such information.
