Why did the UK public not adequately understand the symptoms of COVID-19? An analysis of UK Government statements from 3rd March 2020 to 21st February 2022.

A study analyzed the speeches made by UK government spokespeople during press conferences from March 3, 2020, to February 21, 2022, to assess whether they effectively communicated the specific symptoms of COVID-19 that required public action. The study found that only 22.8% of press conferences mentioned the specific symptoms, and this mainly occurred at the beginning of the pandemic. When analyzing individual speeches, only 8.9% mentioned at least one specific symptom. The study concludes that government spokespeople rarely described the specific symptoms that the public needed to be aware of, and in future outbreaks, it is important to convey these basic facts to enable the public to take appropriate action when symptomatic. [Extracted from the article]