Infodemiological study on the use of face masks during covid-19: Comparing U.S. and Korea

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been varied responses to public health officials’ recommendations about wearing face masks as a means to slow the spread of the virus. This study, by using Twitter data, aims to explore the role of digital technology in facilitating public conversations and formulating public perception regarding face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in two contrasting contexts: the U.S. and South Korea. From January 1, 2020 to April 14, 2020, a total of 22, 928 users generated 27, 501 tweets regarding face masks in the U.S. network, whereas 17, 267 users produced 18, 686 tweets in that of South Korea. The results of the semantic network analysis shed light on Americans’ initial resistance to wearing masks as well as Koreans’ willingness to comply. Details of the results are discussed further in the paper. With real-time data aggregation, this study gives insight into the rising controversy regarding wearing face masks during COVID-19 while providing implications for health officials designing strategic communication messages.