On the Road to Enlightenment: Tracking Changes in Information and Exploring Knowledge Accuracy During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Information about the COVID-19 pandemic changed rapidly over time as researchers learned details about the symptoms, transmission, and prevention of the disease. The onslaught of continually changing information created confusion and misinformation shared by the public and world leaders. This study tracked weekly changes of basic information about the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the accuracy of information learned by the participants over nine weeks. Additionally, the study assessed factors that could influence the amount of accurate information learned. Results indicated that as the weeks progressed, overall accuracy varied, but the fifth week showed a decline in scores. Lastly, trust and use of certain media sources, along with residence and education level predicted accuracy scores.