Language Barriers to Online Search Interest for COVID-19: A Global Infodemiological Study

Background Implementation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic control measures requires the engagement and participation of the public in a synchronized manner. Language may be a barrier to captivating public interest in a concerted manner. The relative volume of English and non-English COVID-19-related web searches estimate public interest among English and Non-English “searchers,” respectively. Asynchrony between English and non-English search interest may suggest language-related lapses in public engagement. Addressing these lapses may improve public health communications. In this study, we aimed to describe the distribution and temporal trends in the evolution of English and non-English online search interest for COVID-19 and to identify lags between English and non-English search interest. Methodology Search interest data (Baidu Index for China, Google Trends for other countries) was queried for the keywords “coronavirus,” “covid 19,” and their non-English equivalents between January 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020, for each country (n = 230). Daily total, English, and non-English search interest were recorded. Search Interest variables were described at global, regional, and country levels. The cross-correlation function was used to identify lags between English and non-English search interest at global, regional, and country levels. Results Globally, 9.69% of total searches relating to COVID-19 utilized non-English keywords. Among included regions, 64.7% (11/17) had significant non-English interest. Central Asia had the highest proportion of non-English interest (81.13% of total interest), followed by Eastern Europe (56.17%), Eastern Asia, Western Asia, and Northern Africa (all over 20%). Among included countries, 33.5% (77/230) had significant non-English interest. Cross-correlation function identified significant lags between English and non-English Interest in six regions (median lag [interquartile range, IQR]: -0.5 [6.00] days) and 24 countries (median lag [IQR]: -1 [4.25] days). Conclusions Non-English keywords contribute substantially to searches relating to COVID-19 in certain countries and regions. Numerous locations exhibit significant lags between English and non-English search interest, suggesting language-related discrepancies in the interest for COVID-19. Further research is required to address the root cause of these lags.