Health literacy is the ability to identify, read, process & understand basic health information in order to make decisions & take appropriate actions to manage health. Information seeking & an affinity towards particular sources of information is influenced by an individual’s health literacy. Health literacy, in turn, is influenced by an individual’s social determinants of health & personal perspectives on health. Information is sought to make informed decisions & take appropriate actions to manage an individual’s health. These decisions are influenced by the sources of information - whether they are mainstream
or alternative sources of health information, & how closely they align with the perspectives & beliefs of the individuals reviewing this information. Within the context of the COVID pandemic, one of the primary concerns is how & through which avenues health information is disseminated in order to gain the trust of the public in order to make the biggest impact in promoting healthy behaviours & protect against the continuous transmission of COVID. Additionally, what can be done to reduce the impact of the spread of false information & direct the public to more credible sources of information?