IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i4p3007-d1062514.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 Related Early Google Search Behavior and Health Communication in the United States: Panel Data Analysis on Health Measures

Author

Listed:
  • Binhui Wang

    (School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Beiting Liang

    (College of Economics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Qiuyi Chen

    (School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Shu Wang

    (Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
    Laboratory of Biomass and Green Technologies, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium)

  • Siyi Wang

    (Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Zhongguo Huang

    (Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Yi Long

    (Law School of Artificial Intelligence, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai 201701, China)

  • Qili Wu

    (School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University National Media Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China)

  • Shulin Xu

    (School of Economic, Guangzhou College of Commerce, Guangzhou 511363, China)

  • Pranay Jinna

    (School of Business, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA)

  • Fan Yang

    (Communication Department, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA)

  • Wai-Kit Ming

    (Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
    Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)

  • Qian Liu

    (School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University National Media Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
    School of Business, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA)

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak at the end of December 2019 spread rapidly all around the world. The objective of this study is to investigate and understand the relationship between public health measures and the development of the pandemic through Google search behaviors in the United States. Our collected data includes Google search queries related to COVID-19 from 1 January to 4 April 2020. After using unit root tests (ADF test and PP test) to examine the stationary and a Hausman test to choose a random effect model, a panel data analysis is conducted to investigate the key query terms with the newly added cases. In addition, a full sample regression and two sub-sample regressions are proposed to explain: (1) The changes in COVID-19 cases number are partly related to search variables related to treatments and medical resources, such as ventilators, hospitals, and masks, which correlate positively with the number of new cases. In contrast, regarding public health measures, social distancing, lockdown, stay-at-home, and self-isolation measures were negatively associated with the number of new cases in the US. (2) In mild states, which ranked one to twenty by the average daily new cases from least to most in 50 states, the query terms about public health measures (quarantine, lockdown, and self-isolation) have a significant negative correlation with the number of new cases. However, only the query terms about lockdown and self-isolation are also negatively associated with the number of new cases in serious states (states ranking 31 to 50). Furthermore, public health measures taken by the government during the COVID-19 outbreak are closely related to the situation of controlling the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Binhui Wang & Beiting Liang & Qiuyi Chen & Shu Wang & Siyi Wang & Zhongguo Huang & Yi Long & Qili Wu & Shulin Xu & Pranay Jinna & Fan Yang & Wai-Kit Ming & Qian Liu, 2023. "COVID-19 Related Early Google Search Behavior and Health Communication in the United States: Panel Data Analysis on Health Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3007-:d:1062514
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3007/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3007/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Perron, Pierre, 1988. "Trends and random walks in macroeconomic time series : Further evidence from a new approach," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 12(2-3), pages 297-332.
    2. Frondel, Manuel & Vance, Colin, 2010. "Fixed, random, or something in between? A variant of Hausman's specification test for panel data estimators," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 107(3), pages 327-329, June.
    3. Dongwei Su & Shulin Xu & Zefeng Tong, 2023. "Credit availability and corporate risk-taking: evidence from China’s green credit policy," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 236-270, April.
    4. repec:zbw:rwirep:0160 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maximiliano Marzetti & Rok Spruk, 2023. "Long-Term Economic Effects of Populist Legal Reforms: Evidence from Argentina," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(1), pages 60-95, March.
    2. Hondroyiannis, George & Papapetrou, Evangelia, 2001. "Demographic changes, labor effort and economic growth: empirical evidence from Greece," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 169-188, February.
    3. Peter G. Warr & Frances Wollmer, 1996. "The Demand For Ldc Exports Of Primary Commodities: The Case Of The Philippines," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 40(1), pages 37-49, April.
    4. Geoffrey Booth, G. & Ciner, Cetin, 1997. "International transmission on information in corn futures markets," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 175-187, October.
    5. Vance, Colin & Frondel, Manuel, 2015. "From fuel taxation to efficiency standards: A wrong turn in European climate protection?," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113171, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Kwiatkowski, Denis & Phillips, Peter C. B. & Schmidt, Peter & Shin, Yongcheol, 1992. "Testing the null hypothesis of stationarity against the alternative of a unit root : How sure are we that economic time series have a unit root?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1-3), pages 159-178.
    7. Carolina Laureti, 2015. "The Debt Puzzle in Dhaka’s Slums: Do Poor People Co-hold for Liquidity Needs?," Working Papers CEB 15-021, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Ilias Lekkos, 2003. "Cross‐sectional Restrictions on the Spot and Forward Term Structures of Interest Rates and Panel Unit Root Tests," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5‐6), pages 799-828, June.
    9. Schotman, Peter & van Dijk, Herman K., 1991. "A Bayesian analysis of the unit root in real exchange rates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1-2), pages 195-238.
    10. Hondroyiannis, George & Lolos, Sarantis & Papapetrou, Evangelia, 2005. "Financial markets and economic growth in Greece, 1986-1999," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 173-188, April.
    11. Osamah M. Al-Khazali, 2003. "Stock Prices, Inflation, and Output: Evidence from the Emerging Markets," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 2(3), pages 287-314, September.
    12. Acaravici, Ali, 2010. "Structural Breaks, Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth: Evidence from Turkey," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(2), pages 140-154, July.
    13. Farid, Saqib & Kayani, Ghulam Mujtaba & Naeem, Muhammad Abubakr & Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain, 2021. "Intraday volatility transmission among precious metals, energy and stocks during the COVID-19 pandemic," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    14. Song, Yang, 2013. "Rising Chinese regional income inequality: The role of fiscal decentralization," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 294-309.
    15. Apostolos Serletis, 1994. "Maximum likelihood cointegration tests of purchasing power parity: Evidence from seventeen OECD countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 130(3), pages 476-493, September.
    16. Aloy Marcel & Tong Charles Lai & Peguin-Feissolle Anne & Dufrénot Gilles, 2013. "A smooth transition long-memory model," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(3), pages 281-296, May.
    17. Johannes W. Fedderke, 2022. "Identifying steady‐state growth and inflation in the South African economy, 1960–2020," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 90(3), pages 279-300, September.
    18. repec:zbw:rwirep:0227 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Kate Phylaktis & David Blake, 1993. "The fisher hypothesis: Evidence from three high inflation economies," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 129(3), pages 591-599, September.
    20. PHILIP E.T. LEWIS & GARRY A. MacDONALD, 1993. "Testing for Equilibrium in the Australian Wage Equation," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 69(3), pages 295-304, September.
    21. Geng Niu & Bertrand Melenberg, 2014. "Trends in Mortality Decrease and Economic Growth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(5), pages 1755-1773, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3007-:d:1062514. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.