Social media for rapid knowledge dissemination: early experience from the COVID ‐19 pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic is threatening global health. Rates of infection outside of China are rapidly increasing, with confirmed cases reported in over 160 countries as of 19 March 2020 1. During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, 21% of the global cumulative case total were healthcare workers 2. However, a recent study from Wuhan, China reported that 1716 healthcare workers were infected with COVID-19, representing 3.8% of confirmed cases 3. During the SARS epidemic, it is likely that a lack of awareness and preparedness put healthcare workers at risk 4. Thus, delivering rapid, reliable information that addresses critical infection control issues is of key importance, and tracheal…