News and Insights
The 50 COVID-19 Influencers You Need To Follow
May 29, 2020
A popular saying at Finn Partners is that “communication is oxygen.” In our work, we find that poor communication (and poor understanding) is at the root of most of the challenges we face, and only by listening and communicating with regularity and clarity can we breathe more freely.
In the time of COVID-19, we are not only dealing with a viral pandemic, we must also overcome a nationwide communications crisis.
Surrounded by television news outlets parroting contradictory opinions, viral social media posts spurring disheartening, troll-generated comments, and an abundance of information shared on communication platforms without proper fact-checking – where can you turn for accurate, credible information during the pandemic?
As in past times of crisis, Twitter has emerged as the worldwide hub for real-time developments and expert commentary. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx have become household names, and certain epidemiologists and virologists have risen to celebrity status.
But wading through the massive amount of content on Twitter is a large undertaking, so we’ve identified and ranked our top 50 experts in the COVID-19 space, the top 10 represented by the below infographic. Each name links to their respective Twitter account.
If you would like a copy of the infographic
By using the latest analytics technology and cross-referencing lists from entities such as Forbes and Fortune, as well as publications that include STAT News, we’ve ranked these experts by their Total Engagement metric, which is calculated by Total Number of Posts x Average Engagement per Post during a monitored time period. In this case, we reviewed January 1, 2020, to May 15, 2020, which provided a clear snapshot of COVID-19’s growing effect around the world.
Typically, Engagement metric counts each “like,” “comment,” “retweet,” or “share” on Twitter as an individual engagement. To quantify an author’s overall influence level, we judge the Total Engagement metric to be relatively more comprehensive and accurate than simply looking at Total Activity, Average Engagement, or Total Reach. Total Engagement balances both the author’s activity level and how deeply their posts resonate with audiences.
For many, 10 experts won’t be enough to get the most thorough picture of the virus’ impact and trajectory. Below, you’ll find an additional 40 individuals and organizations to consider following, already compiled in this Twitter List.
11. Helen Branswell – @HelenBranswell
12. Dr. Angela Rasmussen – @angie_rasmussen
13. Andre Picard – @picardonhealth
14. Caitlin Rivers – @cmyeaton
15. Soumya Karlamangla – @skarlamangla
16. Florian Krammer – @florian_krammer
17. Marc Lipsitch – @mlipsitch
18. Dr. Tara C. Smith – @aetiology
19. Ed Yong – @edyong209
20. Ian Mackay – @MackayIM
21. Carl Zimmer – @carlzimmer
22. Tom Inglesby – @T_Inglesby
23. Kai Kupferschmidt – @kakape
24. Natalie Dean, PhD – @nataliexdean
25. Adam Kucharski – @AdamJKucharski
26. Dr. Tom Frieden – @DrTomFrieden
27. Prof. Peter Hotez MD PhD – @PeterHotez
28. Christina Farr – @chrissyfarr
29. Meg Tirrell – @megtirrell
30. Arthur Caplan – @ArthurCaplan
31. Jeremy Farrar – @JeremyFarrar
32. Amy Maxmen – @amymaxmen
33. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli – @KrutikaKuppalli
34. Amesh Adalja – @AmeshAA
35. Dr. Robert R. Redfield – @CDCDirector
36. Michael Mina – @michaelmina_lab
37. Laura Helmuth – @laurahelmuth
38. Caroline Chen – @CarolineYLChen
39. Dr. Syra Madad – @syramadad
40. Marion Koopmans – @Marionkoopmans
41. Hendrik Streeck – @hendrikstreeck
42. Prof. Dr. Benhur Lee, MD – @VirusWhisperer
43. Maia Majumder, PhD – @maiamajumder
44. Seth Berkley – @GaviSeth
45. John Nosta – @JohnNosta
46. Paul Sax – @PaulSaxMD
47. Nahid Bhadelia – @BhadeliaMD
48. Neil Ferguson – @neil_furguson
49. Dr. John Whyte – @drjohnwhyte
50. Sharon Begley – @sxbegle
If you have any questions or would like to learn more regarding our analytics tools or research methodology, please contact: RPM@finnpartners.com