Finalmente quedamos más informados que desinformados reconociendo la severidad de la pandemia COVID-19 y sus etapas: El caso de la población cañari en Ecuador

The surprising appearance of an extremely contagious and deadly diseas like COVID-19 generated a high demand for information regarding the causal agent, its forms of transmission, its symptoms and signs, prevention and protection measures, possible treatments and a prognosis on its duration and
severity. Public information in pressing times required channels for the dissemination of knowledge that were agile, accessible and easy to interpret, but above all, reliable. The most varied recommendations appeared on social networks from multiple issuers, while the effective official health presence waited in search of truthful and certified information to transmit recommended strategies, therefore, information and misinformation competed in a field of initial uncertainty.

Based on 154 interviews carried out with indigenous and mestizo participants, both Kichwa and Spanish speakers, in three localities of the Cañar province (Ecuador), this study analyzes the reception of informative campaigns related to COVID-19. Thus, we contribute to have a better understanding of the communication strategies developed by the communities to manage health information under emergency conditions, with favorable outcomes for personal and collective health during the pandemic.