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Educating the Public About Reducing Exposure to SARS-CoV-2: Preventive Behaviors Conveyed on YouTube to Mitigate Transmission of COVID-19
Corey Basch;
Grace Hillyer;
Zoe C Meleo-Erwin;
Christie Jaime;
Jan Mohlman;
Charles E Basch
ABSTRACT
Background:
Accurate information and guidance about personal behavior to reduce exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is one of the most important elements in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. With over 2+ billion users, YouTube is media channel that millions turn to seeking information.
Objective:
There are currently no published studies investigating the content of YouTube videos related to COVID-19. This study aimed to address this gap in the current knowledge.
Methods:
This study reviews the 100 most widely viewed YouTube videos uploaded throughout the month of January 2020 to describe content covered.
Results:
Collectively, these videos were viewed over 125 million times. Fewer than one-third of the videos covered any of the six key prevention behaviors listed on the CDC website.
Conclusions:
This represents an important missed opportunity for disease prevention.