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<p>In today’s digital era, the internet offers unprecedented access to information, but it also accelerates the spread of misinformation. Nowhere is this more problematic than in public health, as the COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated. Misinformation can erode trust in science and health authorities, leading people to disregard expert guidance and adopt unverified treatments that endanger population health. We examine how misinformation alters the course of an infectious disease outbreak by modeling the simultaneous uptake of preventive measures and engagement in harmful behaviors. The model captures the competing influences of accurate information and misinformation on individual decision making. Our results show that even a modest influx of misinformation can greatly amplify disease transmission, deepening the epidemic’s severity. These findings highlight the urgent need for robust strategies to curb misinformation and support public health interventions during health crises.</p>

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Assessing the impact of misinformation during the spread of infectious diseases

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月6日

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  • Alejandro Bernardin,
  • Tomas Perez-Acle

摘要

In today’s digital era, the internet offers unprecedented access to information, but it also accelerates the spread of misinformation. Nowhere is this more problematic than in public health, as the COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated. Misinformation can erode trust in science and health authorities, leading people to disregard expert guidance and adopt unverified treatments that endanger population health. We examine how misinformation alters the course of an infectious disease outbreak by modeling the simultaneous uptake of preventive measures and engagement in harmful behaviors. The model captures the competing influences of accurate information and misinformation on individual decision making. Our results show that even a modest influx of misinformation can greatly amplify disease transmission, deepening the epidemic’s severity. These findings highlight the urgent need for robust strategies to curb misinformation and support public health interventions during health crises.