Tweets Reveal Public Opinions on COVID-19 Drugs

Scientists have turned to Twitter to figure out what people really think about medicines used to treat COVID-19. They dug through over 600, 000 US tweets from January 2020 to November 2021, focusing on four drugs: Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin, which had some anecdotal support, and Molnupiravir and Remdesivir, which were approved by the FDA for certain patients. The study found that people talked more about Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin, especially during COVID-19 surges. These discussions were often political, tied to conspiracy theories, and influenced by celebrities. Republicans were more likely to back these drugs than Democrats. Healthcare workers tended to oppose Hydroxychloroquine more than the general public, while the general public was more likely to support Ivermectin. This shows that people have different views on drugs approved by the FDA and those used off-label. Health systems and regulators need to tackle misinformation to ensure safe drug use.