LAUSR

Abstract In our Information Technology (IT) based societies, social media plays an important role in communications and social networks for COVID-19. This study explores social responses for COVID-19 in North America, which is the most severe continent affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employs social network analysis for Twitter among the US, Canada, and Mexico. This study finds that the 3 countries show different characteristics of social networks for COVID-19. For example, the Prime Minister plays the second most important role in the Canadian networks, whereas the Presidents play the most significant role in them, in the US, and Mexico. WHO shows a pivotal effect on social networks of COVID-19 in Canada and the US, whereas it does not affect them in Mexico. Canadians are interested in COVID-19 apps, the American people criticize the president and administration as incompetent in terms of COVID-19, and the Mexican people search for COVID-19 cases and the pandemic in Mexico. This study shows that governments and disease experts should understand social networks and communications of social network services, to develop effective COVID-19 policies according to the characteristics of their country.