COVID-19 - Reading suggestions

• COVID-19 reading list

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic amplifies globally, the 'infodemic' grows with it.  

An infodemic denotes a situation in which there is an excessive amount of information about a problem, to the extent that the authoritative information is often lost in a swamp of rumours, disinformation and paranoia.

Disinformation in the health sector is thriving, and social media platforms provide fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. It is essential that we promote accurate information from reputable sources, and we can all play our part by following certain guidelines.

Many leading academic publishers have committed to providing open access to their COVID-19 and coronavirus-related publications to help researchers and students. The Council Library has collected a list of some of the most reputable sources relating to the pandemic, including articles, ebooks, abstracts, databases, websites and Ted Talks. This list represents only a fragment of what has been written about the virus in the academic community. You can find more via the Council's online catalogue Eureka.

It is important that we all follow the guidance of our public health authorities, and listen to the advice issued by credible sources from relevant organisations, such as the  World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). To find authoritative information about the COVID-19 pandemic, consult the Fighting disinformation page on the Council’s website.

Always get information from reliable sources and please do not share unverified information from dubious sources.

Keep healthy and stay informed!

This reading list does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.

The Council library reading room is currently closed. The Info Desk remains open on-line and will reply to queries by email Monday to Friday, from 10.00 to 16.00.