  Research into COVID-19 has been rapidly evolving since the onset of the
pandemic. This occasionally results in contradictory recommendations by
credible sources of scientific opinion, public health authorities, and medical
professionals. In this study, we examine whether this has resulted in a lack of
trust in scientific opinion, by examining the belief patterns of social media
users and their reactions to statements related to scientific facts. We devise
models to mine belief and persuasion in Twitter discourse using semi-supervised
approaches, and show the relationship between lack of belief and insurgence of
paranoia and conspiracy theories. By investigating these belief patterns, we
explore the best persuasion tactics for communicating information related to
COVID-19.
