As the COVID19 pandemic has spread across the world, a concurrent pandemic of information has spread with it. Deemed an infodemic by the World Health Organization, and described as an overabundance of information, some accurate, some not, that occurs during an epidemic, this proliferation of data, research and opinions provides both opportunities and challenges for academics. Academics and scientists have a key role to play in the solutions to the infodemic challenge: as educators, influences and communicators, even where their expertise and experience does not align precisely with the SARS-Cov2 virus and its impacts. Successful communication requires a better understanding of how the public seeks, understands and processes scientific information, however, in order to maximise the ways in which experts engage with traditional and social media and to make sure that such engagement does not add to confusion and misinformation alongside efforts to counter or challenge it. This paper will outline the key advantages to be had from greater engagement with COVID19 discussions, the popular channels through which such discussions take place and through which information is disseminated. It also warns against the common pitfalls those who choose to engage might encounter, whilst stressing that the disadvantages of doing so are far outweighed by the advantages such engagement offers.

中文翻译：

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COVID19 信息流行病。学术界在科学传播中的作用和地位

随着 COVID19 大流行在世界范围内蔓延，同时发生的信息大流行也随之传播。被世界卫生组织视为信息流行病，并被描述为在流行期间发生的信息过多，有些准确，有些不准确，这种数据、研究和意见的激增为学术界提供了机遇和挑战。学者和科学家在解决信息流行病挑战方面可以发挥关键作用：作为教育者、影响者和传播者，即使他们的专业知识和经验与 SARS-Cov2 病毒及其影响并不完全一致。成功的沟通需要更好地了解公众如何寻求、理解和处理科学信息，然而，为了最大限度地利用专家与传统和社交媒体互动的方式，并确保这种互动不会在反击或挑战它的同时增加混乱和错误信息。本文将概述更多地参与 COVID19 讨论的主要优势、进行此类讨论的流行渠道以及传播信息的渠道。它还警告那些选择参与的人可能会遇到的常见陷阱，同时强调这样做的缺点远远超过这种参与提供的优势。进行此类讨论和传播信息的流行渠道。它还警告那些选择参与的人可能会遇到的常见陷阱，同时强调这样做的缺点远远超过这种参与提供的优势。进行此类讨论和传播信息的流行渠道。它还警告那些选择参与的人可能会遇到的常见陷阱，同时强调这样做的缺点远远超过这种参与提供的优势。