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This chapter investigates the status of urban youths’ knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic and related prevention measures; their sources of information about COVID-19 and their trust in sources of information about COVID-19; credibility of urban youths’ sources of information about COVID-19; related prevention measures and the effect of the above on urban youths’ attitudes towards the adoption of preventive measures against COVID-19. An online survey and three focus group interviews were conducted to collect data. Results indicated that although the majority of young people in urban Uganda were knowledgeable about COVID-19, they also held various misconceptions about it yet this presence of cognitive dissonance, did not negatively affect their adoption of preventive measures. Instead, it worked as a motivator to find more information for change.

In the midst of a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists play an important role of sharing information of consequence with the public. As first responders to precarious events, they work in close proximity to the threat they are reporting on yet at the same time struggle with other personal and professional responsibilities which are strenuous on their mental health. This chapter qualitatively interrogated journalists in order to understand their experiences with mental health during COVID-19 and how they worked through personal and social acceptability, biases and stigma as well as diagnosis. Of importance as well was to understand how they disclose, if they disclose at all, mental health issues and the different copying mechanisms. Findings show that journalists have a textbook but not applicable understanding of mental health, declaring that they many of them have experienced mental disorders without knowing. The consequences of COVID-19 measures such as layoffs, increased workload, inconsiderate media houses, brutality from law enforcement agencies were key contributors to mental health stresses. Journalists with supportive families seemed to have coped better while some buried themselves in multiple jobs to circumvent the stress that comes with financial privation.