When Epidemic Outbreaks Meet Social Media: Collective Illness Narratives on WeChat During COVID-19 Omicron Infection in China

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the landscape of collective illness narratives on social media in China during December 2022 and January 2023, when nearly one billion people were infected with the COVID-19 Omicron virus. By analyzing 655 private social media posts, conducting in-depth interviews with 50 individuals, and organizing 6 focus group discussions with 24 participants, this study explores how COVID-19 Omicron infection became normalized and widely discussed on private social media platforms, notably WeChat Moments. This study unveils distinct features that arise when illness narratives and social media intersect and reveals how people exercised moral imagination and depathologized perception in social media illness narratives. The article provides narrative dynamics during the pandemic in a collective manner and sheds light on the reshaping of illness narratives in the era of social media, offering insights for future pandemic responses. AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to extend their gratitude to Dr. Thompson and the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable insights and the chance to revise this manuscript for publication. Sincere thanks go to all the participants for their active involvement, as well as to the research assistants who contributed to the data collection process.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. The first wave of the epidemic in Beijing has basically ended, with 83% of the infected people.[EB/OL]. Sina.com, http://k.sina.com.cn/article_2420221231_9041a52f01901cg4w.html.2. 200 million people’s WeChat posts are visible for only three days. Announced by Tencent’s Senior Vice President, Zhang Xiaolong, at the 2021 WeChat Open Class. https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20210119A0FE8600.3. Our research team attempted to persuade a few older individuals who had tested positive to participate in interviews, but they maintained a respectful and reserved attitude; none of them formally accepted our interview invitation.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by National Social Science Fund of China [No. 22CXW012].