Editorial | Communication in Hong Kong key to ‘living with virus’
- Accurate information and clear messaging from the authorities vital if city’s people are to soldier on
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll across the world, not just in terms of damage to the economies, but also to citizens’ physical and mental health. Over the past three years, there has been no shortage of studies showing how people cope with “long Covid” syndrome, stress disorder and epidemic fatigue.
And the fallout is still being felt across societies. An unpublished study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong last August found more than 60 per cent of the 4,000 respondents in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they faced too much news about Covid-19 on social media. More than 40 per cent “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they preferred not to think about the pandemic.
Hong Kong respondents had the highest level of “information avoidance”, followed by Beijing, Singapore and Taipei, according to the findings seen by the Post.
Hongkongers are, of course, not alone in struggling with pandemic fatigue. But the fact that they are more likely to be put off by related news than others says something about the anti-epidemic strategies and public communications among the cities. The study came at a time when the authorities were coping with the crisis differently.
Unlike Singapore’s “living with the virus” approach, Beijing was still under the grip of “dynamic zero”. Taipei just overcame an outbreak; and Hong Kong was teetering between zero tolerance and gradual relaxation following the most deadly fifth wave of infections.
02:40
Emotional reunion for Hong Kong-mainland couple as border reopens
That public attitude and behaviour change according to the stages of epidemic development is just natural. But researchers have reasons to link the city’s high level of fatigue to information overload, distrust in government and communication failures.