A recent report on Google trends in Africa underscores the inconsistencies in what the public knows about Covid-19 and how tech platforms can be used to spread fallacies about the virus.

In a region where a deluge of disinformation has spread through social media platforms, search trends can provide public health authorities with insight into gaps in public knowledge. The report from Think Global Health, a Council on Foreign Relations initiative, looked at 3,000 search questions from 21 African countries, including Egypt, South Africa and Uganda, to find out what Africans are asking most frequently about Covid-19.  

The queries predictably range from questions on the virus’ origin to clarification of symptoms. But others like, “Are coronavirus tests free?” indicate that there is confusion in some African countries about whether people themselves or the government will pay for testing and treatment. 

While many questions are answered on public health websites like the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 specific pages, the authors of the report say it’s not always obvious that Africans know where to look for answers. According to their findings: “There is plenty of need for local, trusted websites to offer ways for the public to access accurate health information.”