Twitter Discourse on Nicotine as Potential Prophylactic or Therapeutic for COVID-19

Abstract

ObjectiveThe low observed prevalence of smokers among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in certain cohorts has led to a hypothesis regarding nicotine’s therapeutic role in COVID-19 prevention and treatment. As new scientific evidence surfaces, premature conclusions about nicotine are rife in social media, especially unwarranted leaps of such associations to vaping and smoking. This study reports on the prevalence of such leaps and the nature of authors who are making them.MethodsWe used a Twitter API subscription service to download tweets (n = 17,533) that match terms indicating nicotine or vaping themes, in addition to those that point to a prophylactic or therapeutic effect and COVID-19 (January-July 2020). Using a windowing approach, we focused on tweets that are more likely to convey the therapeutic intent. We hand-annotated these filtered tweets and built a classifier that identifies tweets that extrapolate a nicotine link to vaping/smoking. We analyzed the frequently used terms in author bios, top Web links, and hashtags of such tweets.Results21% of our filtered tweets indicate a vaping/smoking-based prevention/treatment narrative. Our classifier was able to spot tweets that make unproven claims about vaping/smoking and COVID-19 with a positive predictive value of 85%. Qualitative analyses show a variety of ways therapeutic claims are being made and user bios reveal pre-existing notions of positive stances toward vaping.ConclusionThe social media landscape is a double-edged sword in tobacco communication. Although it increases information reach, consumers can also be subject to confirmation bias when exposed to inadvertent or deliberate framing of scientific discourse that may border on misinformation. This calls for circumspection and additional planning in countering such narratives as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage our world.

Charming e-cigarette users with distorted science: a survey examining social media platform use, nicotine-related misinformation and attitudes towards the tobacco industry

“…Although we provide evidence of an association between use of specific social media platforms and recall and belief in misinformation and disinformation, we do not assess whether exposure to such information occurred on social media in general or any specific platform. Thus, while the proliferation of misinformation on social media is a well-documented phenomenon,35 45 our data do not provide definitive evidence that misinformation is more likely to spread on Twitter versus Reddit, but rather that Twitter users are more likely to recall and believe such information, whereas Reddit users are less likely.…”

“…The often cited ‘infodemic’ 54 of false and misleading information spreading online encompasses COVID-19, 36 55 ECs 56 57 and the intersection of the two. 45 However, false and misleading information varies from unintentionally incorrect misinformation to intentionally deceitful disinformation. 58 Distorted science exemplified in this study by the extrapolation of published scientific findings to support unsubstantiated claims about a prospective therapeutic role of nicotine during the COVID-19 pandemic were recalled and believed more among more frequent users of Twitter and YouTube, but less among frequent users of Reddit.…”

“…The second important conclusion drawn from this work is that social media plays a complex role in the current information environment. The often cited ‘infodemic’54 of false and misleading information spreading online encompasses COVID-19,36 55 ECs56 57 and the intersection of the two 45. However, false and misleading information varies from unintentionally incorrect misinformation to intentionally deceitful disinformation 58.…”

“…Although more research is needed to make definitive claims about the effects of nicotine, there is currently no evidence supporting a therapeutic use for nicotine with respect to COVID-19. Despite the lack of supporting evidence and significant evidence to the contrary, an analysis of Twitter discourse identified a substantial presence of content related to prevention or treatment of COVID-19 with nicotine 45…”

“…Despite the lack of supporting evidence and significant evidence to the contrary, an analysis of Twitter discourse identified a substantial presence of content related to prevention or treatment of COVID-19 with nicotine. 45 …”