Brecha digital y tecnologías de comunicación e información en un telecentro de la Amazonia Peruana: Hacia el control de la pandemia COVID-19 2021

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 generated the application of social distancing and confinement measures for a long time, undermining participation in community activism and promoting the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the control and prevention of the disease; however, there is a wide gap between those who have access to the internet and those who do not, and the spread of COVID-19 has only deepened this gap. A descriptive and correlational study was carried out in order to determine the relationship between the digital divide and ICTs for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 119 users who attend a telecenter in the Peruvian Amazon. A questionnaire made up of 37 items related to the digital divide and ICTs, evaluated using a Likert scale, was applied. Likewise, an instrument with 15 items was applied to evaluate the search for information about COVID-19. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Differences were found between what is known and what should be known about COVID-19, generating an information gap about the disease; In addition, a correlation between the digital divide and ICT was obtained. The implementation of digital inclusion programs, policies for digital access and connectivity, establishment of other telecenters and development of adequate infrastructure are required, which reduce the digital divide and promote the control and prevention of COVID-19.