INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 ON SOCIAL NETWORKS OF HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS
INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 ON SOCIAL NETWORKS OF HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS

Summary/Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic appeared in Slovakia in March. This was the month when the first patient with COVID19 was confirmed in Slovakia. It has become a whole society topic. All healthcare institutions started to actively communicate this topic not only in the media, but also on social networks. Social networks particularly became a place for fast communication of information about COVID-19. Offices and hospitals used Facebook to inform the public about current situation in connection to the pandemic. Institutions informed about the number of infected people and the related measures and hospitals informed whether they have patients with confirmed COVID-19. It was the speed of information provision to the public, often faster than the media, which allowed the institutions and hospitals to gain thousands of new Facebook fans through organic content. Hospitals started to be more active on Facebook and, by this activity, contributed to the availability of verified information obtainable directly from the source. Hospitals became a guarantee of verified information related to the hospitalized patients with COVID19. On their networks, they informed whether there was or was not a hospitalized patient. The government and administration needed to communicate pandemic measures. Social networks became a place to communicate this information.

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