ESMH selection: sources of information about Coronavirus

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for reliable sources of information on the virus and ensuing crisis is more important than ever.

To this end, the European Science-Media Hub has compiled a list of such sources, ranging from recognised official international webpages providing daily updates, to data and maps, as well as a selection of resources tailored for reporters and for tackling the spread of disinformation on the topic.

Check also our Covid-19 section and our ‘Tackling the Infodemic’

Last Update : January 2022

International sources:

• World Health Organization
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• European Medicines Agency
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
• European Chemical Agency
• European Parliament, News homepage
• EPRS: What Europe does for me coronavirus section, EPRS blog coronavirus-related EPRS resources
• European Commission online learning resources for learners
• European Commission Joint Research Center, info sources on Coronavirus
• UNESCO Covid-19 response

Maps, data sources:

• Johns Hopkins Interactive Map, live data on the spread of Covid-19 worldwide
• Statistics and research from the University of Oxford
• Map provided by the Centre for Studies in Demography and Ecology of the University of Washington (*they stopped their activities)
• Der Kontext Lab created a map on Covid-19 covering the interconnection between society, economics, science & politics. The information is constantly updated & focused not just on breaking news but rather on profound background information. In German

Resources for reporters:

• First Draft
• Global Investigative Journalism Network
• International Journalists’ Network
• Scientific Expertise and Context on Deadline (AAAS)
• Harvard Kennedy School, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy
• Reuters Institute, Oxford University
• International Center For Journalists & International Journalism Network joint initiative
• Thomsom Reuters Foundation News
• Curiologie, managed by a science writer
• INSERM – Science pour la Santé
• The Conversation special page on Covid-19, different country editions in different languages available – 🔗Fr / 🔗Es / 🔗Uk
• Weekly round-up of news from the International Journalism Festival

Open Access scientific sources:

• Springer Nature Open Access page on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and Springer research results (IP recognition)
• Cambrigde University Press Coronavirus Free Access Collection, and Covid-19: A message to our customers
• Elsevier’s free health and medical research on novel coronavirus.
• FRONTIERS Coronavirus Knowledge Hub.

Debunking disinformation/Fact-checking sources:

• EUvsDisinfo
Update of the special report from EEAS Strategic Communications and Information Analysis Division, 2-22 April
• First Draft: Tips for responsible reporting on Covid-19, informed by interviews with health and science reporters, health professionals and journalism professors, our existing training materials, and several excellent coronavirus reporting guides.
• CoronaVirusFact/Datos Coronavirus Alliance – Poynter’s International Fact Checking Network: 100 fact-checkers in 45 countries publishing in 15 languages.
• Maldito Bulo, a collection of common circulating haokes on coronavirus, in Spanish.
• Valigia Blu, an Italian network of journalists renowned for producing quality information based on fact and data. Here a selection of QA on coronavirus.
• BBC advice on how to practice ‘information hygiene’
• European Institutions pages on the fight against disinformation on Covid-19 🔗European Parliament
• WHO Viber against disinformation on Coronavirus.
• WHO Europe, ‘Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic’ section.
• Graphika Report on Covid-19 Infodemic, a preliminary analysis of data on the global online conversation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

A selection of other national information sources in EU languages:

• Italy : IlPost, Newsletter on coronavirus. A daily update on the spread of Covid-19, published on the blog of the Italian media IlPost.
• Germany : Daily podcast on German Public Broadcast by Prof Christian Drosten, virologist from Charité Berlin.
• Spain : Agencia SINC.

Additional information sources on Covid-19

• European Parliament Library, list of sources compiled by DG EPRS.

Please note that this list is but a selection from the ESMH team and is by no means exhaustive. We gladly welcome suggestions of additional valuable and reliable sources.