Exactly two years and nine days ago, Nature published its first research paper about the virus responsible for the outbreak we now know as the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have seen potentially the biggest boom in scientific literature ever, which as of August 2021 had amassed 210,863 papers related to COVID-19 according to the Scopus database.
Left at the center of this whirlpool of information has been the general public. With neither the time nor the literacy to process the science behind COVID-19, the public understandably turns to social media for guidance during the pandemic. Unfortunately, that is the same social media that has fueled numerous fires of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories.
But, it is not all bad news. The good news is some scientists have taken it upon themselves to add one more task to their unprecedentedly packed to-do lists, and that task is to use social media to educate the public about COVID-19.
In the Arab world, we have our own experts gifted in explaining scientific subjects using language that non-experts can understand. So, SASTA proudly presents to you a list of Virologists, Molecular Biologists, and Public Health specialists you can follow online for evidence-based COVID-19 insights — all in Arabic and free of any agendas.
Dr. Alia Kiwan – PhD in Molecular Biology from Heidelberg University
“We believe in science.” That statement is one of the first things Dr. Alia Kiwan’s Facebook followers read after visiting her page for the first time. Given she has over 104,000 followers, Dr. Kiwan is an expert at helping others believe in science as well – never by alienating them; rather by showing them the value science can add to their everyday lives.
Add to that her impressive research qualifications, including a PhD in Molecular Biology from Heidelberg University, and Dr. Kiwan is easily one of the most trustworthy voices in Arabic COVID-19 discourse. Aside from Facebook, she uses different forms of media to raise awareness about COVID-19, such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Clubhouse, and even stories for kids. Her Sophia the Young Researcher series has had two titles: Story of a Virus and Story of a Vaccine.
Dr. Islam Hussein – PhD in Molecular Virology from the University of Cambridge
From the very beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Islam Hussein, holder of a PhD in Molecular Virology from the University of Cambridge, has been on the frontline against COVID-19 misinformation. His first line of defense was his trusty YouTube channel VirolVlog.
But to match the speed of COVID-19 research, Dr. Hussein today uses a much simpler formula on Twitter: data plus conversational language. So, for the latest COVID-19 updates explained in layman’s terms, make sure to give Dr. Hussein a follow.
Dr. Susan Nasif – PhD in Virology from KU Leuven
Another Arab expert on COVID-19 active on Twitter is Dr. Susan Nasif. Dr. Nasif holds a PhD in Virology from the Rega Institute for Medical Research at KU Leuven. Upon completion of her PhD degree, Dr. Nasif embarked on a number of successful science communication projects through her company Cimaza Virology Comics which won the 2015 Science Hero Award.
In addition to sharing results of COVID-19 studies on Twitter like Dr. Hussein, Dr. Nasif also polls her followers on various topics related to COVID-19. Below is her poll on the psychological impact of the pandemic on children.
Dr. Assala Lamaa – PhD in Biology and Oncology from the Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III
You might have already heard Dr. Assala Lamaa’s insights on Sky News Arabia or Al Jazeera among other TV channels. But, Dr. Lamaa also adds a lot to the table when it comes to educating the Arab public about COVID-19 using social media. She holds a PhD in Biology and Oncology from the Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III.
Dr. Ahmed Alammar – Director of Public Health at the Gulf Health Council
For Dr. Ahmed Alammar, the science communication journey began way before the COVID-19 pandemic. He graduated from the School of Medicine at King Saud University in 2014. Soon after, he launched his YouTube channel to raise awareness about different health topics.
Today, Dr. Alammar is the Director of Public Health at the Gulf Health Council. Naturally, public awareness about COVID-19 is a substantial part of his role. Thus, Dr. Alammar is frequently using different online channels to shed light on the necessity of vaccines, answer the most common COVID-19 questions, and even engage his followers through fun contests that test their health knowledge.
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