Assessing the Accuracy of COVID-19 Information Circulating in a Facebook Online Community

Online health communities (OHCs) have emerged as critical platforms for accessing and exchanging health-related information, including updates about COVID-19. Given the prevalence of misinformation in digital spaces, ensuring the quality of online health content remains a pressing concern. This study evaluates the accuracy of COVID-19-related information disseminated within a Facebook-based OHC. We compared the community’s content to the most robust and up-to-date scientific evidence available during the study period (November 2021 to January 2022). By analyzing posts and their corresponding comments, we identified three dominant themes: “post-COVID,” “vaccination,” and “infection.” Our findings reveal significant gaps in accuracy: nearly 60% of claims about “post-COVID” lacked scientific support, 12.9% of vaccination-related content was inaccurate, and only 47% of infection-related posts aligned fully with evidence-based guidelines. Overall, approximately one-third of the OHC’s content was partially or entirely inconsistent with scientific consensus. These results highlight the persistent risk of COVID-19 misinformation exposure among participants in online health communities, underscoring the need for proactive interventions to enhance information quality in digital health spaces.