Using Twitter to Understand the COVID-19 Experiences of People With Dementia: Infodemiology Study #MMPMID33468449
Bacsu JD; O'Connell ME; Cammer A; Azizi M; Grewal K; Poole L; Green S; Sivananthan S; Spiteri RJ
J Med Internet Res 2021[Feb]; 23 (2): e26254 PMID33468449show ga
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people with dementia in numerous ways. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research on the COVID-19 impact on people with dementia and their care partners. OBJECTIVE: Using Twitter, the purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of COVID-19 for people with dementia and their care partners. METHODS: We collected tweets on COVID-19 and dementia using the GetOldTweets application in Python from February 15 to September 7, 2020. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the tweets. RESULTS: From the 5063 tweets analyzed with line-by-line coding, we identified 4 main themes including (1) separation and loss; (2) COVID-19 confusion, despair, and abandonment; (3) stress and exhaustion exacerbation; and (4) unpaid sacrifices by formal care providers. CONCLUSIONS: There is an imminent need for governments to rethink using a one-size-fits-all response to COVID-19 policy and use a collaborative approach to support people with dementia. Collaboration and more evidence-informed research are essential to reducing COVID-19 mortality and improving the quality of life for people with dementia and their care partners.
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J+Med+Internet+Res 2021 ; 23 (2): e26254
