#COVIDSOS: health support during the second wave of COVID-19 in India

This study examines the role of Twitter1 (now X) in facilitating health support during India’s second wave of COVID-19. Drawing from the theoretical framework of social support in computer-mediated contexts, it employs a close reading of 1, 478 downloaded tweets (now X posts) from March 2021 to December 2021, associated with the hashtag #COVIDSOS. In doing so, the study analyses the health support provided via computer-mediated communication through the following four support categories – informational, emotional, esteem, and network support. Textual analysis of the tweets found that Indians used the hashtag #COVIDSOS on Twitter as a powerful tool to amplify distress calls about medical assistance within and through their online networks, and exchanged information, enabling individuals to receive help effectively. This study contributes to the broader literature on effective social media use during crises by offering a contextual understanding of the second-wave COVID-19 crisis in India through an affective lens.