Durcheva D. E. 1, Georgieva L. M. 1
| 1 Medical University – Sofia, Bulgaria |
Abstract
Background and Aim of Study: The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by an unprecedented infodemic – a massive overabundance of information, including misinformation and disinformation – that posed significant threats to public health. Bulgaria, like many countries, experienced the dual burden of both the pandemic and the spread of health misinformation through traditional and social media channels.
The aim of the study: to examine public attitudes towards COVID-19 misinformation, assess levels of institutional trust during the infodemic, and identify differences in information behaviour between the general public and healthcare professionals in Bulgaria.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in October 2024 among two groups: 800 members of the general public (representative urban sample, ages 18–70) and 101 healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses). Data were collected and aggregated via the Alchimer online survey platform, with face-to-face interviews also conducted among healthcare professionals. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used to summarise responses, and comparative analyses were performed primarily using Q-Research software, with IBM SPSS-26 Statistics used for supplementary analyses; the chi-square test was applied to compare categorical variables (statistical significance set at p<0.05).
Results: Over 92.0% of respondents confirmed that fake news circulated during the pandemic. The most trusted information sources were healthcare experts (79.8% general public; 90.1% healthcare professionals) and official health websites. Social media received the lowest trust ratings and the largest post-pandemic decline in trust (net change: −35.8% general public; −15.4% healthcare professionals). Fake news most strongly affected mental health (67.5% general public; 71.4% healthcare professionals reported strongly negative impact). A majority of the general public (62.8%) believed institutions failed to adequately address misinformation, while healthcare professionals were nearly evenly divided. Significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding information-seeking behaviour, source evaluation, and perceived pandemic authenticity.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 infodemic substantially eroded institutional trust in Bulgaria, particularly towards social media and political actors. Healthcare professionals demonstrated stronger media literacy and maintained higher trust in expert sources. These findings underscore the urgent need for institutional communication strategies, media literacy programmes, and coordinated infodemic management policies.
Keywords
COVID-19, infodemic, misinformation, institutional trust, health communication, Bulgaria, fake news
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Durcheva Desislava Eutimova (Corresponding Author) – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2428-3730;
Georgieva Lidia Mladenova – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9320-9203; Doctor of Medical Sciences, MD, Full Professor, Medical University – Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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APA
Durcheva, D. E., & Georgieva, L. M. (2026). Public attitudes towards COVID-19 misinformation and institutional trust during the infodemic in Bulgaria: Results from a cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Science Annals, 9(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2026.1.5
Harvard
Durcheva, D. E., & Georgieva, L. M. "Public attitudes towards COVID-19 misinformation and institutional trust during the infodemic in Bulgaria: Results from a cross-sectional survey". International Journal of Science Annals, [online] 9(1), pp. 1-8. viewed 30 June 2026, https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2026.1.5.pdfVancouver
Durcheva D. E., & Georgieva L. M. Public attitudes towards COVID-19 misinformation and institutional trust during the infodemic in Bulgaria: Results from a cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Science Annals [Internet]. 2026 [cited 30 June 2026]; 9(1): 1-8. Available from: https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2026.1.5.pdf https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2026.1.5
