Table 3.
Median public engagement for tweets with or without message type at different stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia (January 1 to August 31, 2020).
| Variablea | Median present | Median absent | U value | Z-value | P value | |||||||
| Precrisis | ||||||||||||
|
|
Risk messages | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 766.00 | 432.00 | 78.000 | –2.154 | .03 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 686.00 | 403.50 | 84.000 | –2.034 | .04 | ||||||
| Initial event | ||||||||||||
|
|
Risk messages | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 385.50 | 781.50 | 15490.000 | –4.252 | <.001 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 974.50 | 1008.00 | 15547.500 | –4.219 | <.001 | ||||||
|
|
Uncertainty reduction | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 770.00 | 723.50 | 70667.500 | –2.915 | .004 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 1025.00 | 964.50 | 69956.000 | –3.133 | .002 | ||||||
|
|
Reassurance | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 1198.00 | 659.00 | 34581.000 | –5.169 | <.001 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 1629.00 | 856.00 | 32880.500 | –5.843 | <.001 | ||||||
| Maintenance | ||||||||||||
|
|
Uncertainty reduction | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 409.00 | 317.50 | 10781.500 | –3.681 | <.001 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 678.50 | 524.50 | 10680.000 | –3.795 | <.001 | ||||||
|
|
Digital health responses | |||||||||||
|
|
|
Retweets | 273.50 | 404.50 | 4823.000 | –4.547 | <.001 | |||||
|
|
Likes | 452.00 | 643.50 | 4831.000 | –4.534 | <.001 | ||||||
aOnly significant variables are reported.