During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were major public health efforts to reduce infection rates and mitigate serious health effects of the disease through promotion of behavior such as getting vaccinated and wearing masks. An obstacle was the broad and rapid spread of misinformation about the coronavirus that causes the illness and effective ways to combat it. This led to mistrust of health authorities and resistance to adopting protective behavior.  

Few studies so far have investigated the use and expression of misinformation during local government meetings where policies related to COVID-19 were discussed. In a new study led by UC Riverside, researchers found numerous statements of misinformation made by residents during Riverside County Board of Supervisors meetings between 2020 and 2022. Accompanying such comments was much skepticism about research evidence and data presented by state and federal government agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, published in Preventive Medicine Reports, involved an interdisciplinary team of graduate students and faculty from public health and psychology at UCR, UC Irvine, and UC Merced. The researchers focused on three counties in California that represented rich cultural, economic, political, and geographic diversity, and offered a unique opportunity to understand some efforts that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sifting through public records, the team culled 534 policy documents where COVID-19 or the pandemic were mentioned. Upon close examination of the records, the researchers saw patterns emerge in the comments and categorized them into various themes and sub-themes. For example, some statements focused on the mistaken belief that masking or vaccination was ineffective or harmful. Others centered around misperceptions that health and government agencies were issuing fake information to keep up the illusion that a pandemic was happening. 

The team also observed that residents expressed an urgent desire for more information and updates, even though public health and government representatives accurately and appropriately presented current data and scientific knowledge about the pandemic at these meetings. 

The study illustrates that misinformation cultivated strong mistrust of public officials and health departments that was an additional burden on public health efforts to provide information effectively and promote disease prevention.

The authors concluded that looking beyond COVID-19, investment in processes that increase the credibility and trust of public health departments and organizations/officials could be highly beneficial for encouraging compliance with epidemic-controlling strategies. 

“We hope the findings of this study are directly relevant for healthcare workers, policy makers, and community members who are working to improve public health in our local regions and broadly,” said Aerika B. Loyd, a study author and associate professor in UCR’s Department of Psychology. One of Loyd’s Ph.D. students, Joshua Murillo, is lead author for the study.   

Denise D. Payán, a study author and associate professor in Health, Society, & Behavior, is the director of the California Initiative for Health Equity & Action, a statewide research and policy center based at UC Irvine that supports the translation of research evidence into state health policy and public health practice to improve health equity.

"These results are highly salient today. Misinformation about vaccines and disease prevention continue to be pervasive in our society and can be harmful to people and communities," Payán said.

A recent survey carried out in 2024 by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania, indicates that the problem of misinformation is only growing. At the time of the survey, 22% of people falsely believed it is safer to contract COVID-19 than to get a vaccination, a two-fold increase from 2021. 

Murillo believes that when thinking about public health strategies, it is necessary to look beyond national messaging.

“We really need to look at how we can figure out a way to make a connection, not only between the government and health sources, but also with community members to create a trustworthy and responsive way to battle or mitigate misinformation,” he said.

Individuals who attend local government meetings tend to be stakeholders, Murillo explained. That means they are residents deeply invested in the issues under consideration and often hold influential positions in their communities, for example as business owners or leaders in their social networks. Murillo said local forums such as county Board of Supervisors meetings represent great opportunities for communicating accurate evidence, dispelling misinformation, and building trust with local residents.

In addition to Murillo, Loyd, and Payán, study authors include Andrew Subica of UCR, Tessa Pulido of UC Irvine, and Irene Yen of UC Merced. The study was supported by a University of California research grant.