January 8, 2021

Misinformation about COVID-19: Evidence for Differential Latent Profiles and a Strong Association with Trust in Science

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): antibodies, immunity, vaccines

Agley et al. found that believing misinformation about SARS-CoV-2 may not keep people from simultaneously believing in the scientifically accepted explanation for the novel virus’s origins. Among a sample of 660 US-based users of Mechanical Turk (MTurk), 70% of people believed the scientific consensus about the virus originating in animals and rejected related conspiracy theories. However, around 8% of people surveyed thought that theories about lab development of the virus or the expansion of 5G networks, the idea that Bill Gates caused the pandemic in order to expand vaccination programs, and the claim that the risks of COVID-19 have been exaggerated to restrict liberties in the US are all equally as plausible as the scientific consensus. Trust in science in general was a strong predictor for accurate current COVID-19 beliefs.

Agley and Xiao. (Dec 7, 2021). Misinformation about COVID-19: Evidence for Differential Latent Profiles and a Strong Association with Trust in Science. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10103-x