Tweeting Through COVID-19

A Content Analysis of Twitter Posts During the Pandemic

Abstract

This study assessed public sentiments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic through a content analysis of 100 Twitter posts made on March 31, 2020, following the introduction of gathering restrictions and social distancing measures. This analysis identified nine themes, including (in order of prevalence): self-isolation activities, reactions to government actions, humour, prevention, emotion, positivity, mental health, statistics, and personal experiences. The most common themes found were related to how people were spending their time in self-isolation (21% of posts analyzed) and reactions to steps taken by various levels of governments (19% of posts). The results demonstrated, overall, an optimistic outlook among a sample of Twitter users towards the COVID-19 pandemic, a sense of solidarity, and a willingness of these users to observe measures to try and stop the spread of the virus.