ABSTRACT
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, the Chinese government has adopted effective measures to contain the coronavirus transmission. Understanding COVID-19 communication in China and its impact is thus imperative. We conducted a national online survey of Chinese citizens to examine the perceived impact of COVID-19, key information channels and sources used to obtain COVID-19 information, perceived quality of COVID-19 communication and COVID-19 information retention. The results showed that as the Chinese government demonstrated its efficacy in curbing COVID-19 transmission, the perceived detrimental impact of COVID-19 on daily life and safety concerns significantly dropped. Mobile messaging apps (e.g., WeChat) were used most frequently to obtain COVID-19-related information, whereas news websites, television and newspapers and/or magazines were the most trusted information channels. In addition, individuals in China trusted the COVID-19 information delivered by public health organizations and officials the most. Practical implications for effective government communication during pandemic periods were also discussed.
