Abstract
Background
WHO has recommended personal hygiene (respiratory hygiene, using face
masks, washing hands with warm water and soap, use of alcohol-based hand
sanitizers, avoid touching mouth, eyes & nose, cleanliness), social
distancing and careful handling of purchased products as an effective
preventive measure for COVID-19 disease. The growing pandemic of COVID-19
disease requires social distancing and personal hygiene measures to protect
public health. But this message is not clear and well understood among people.
The aim of this study is to determine the awareness, knowledge and attitude
about COVID-19 and relate the behaviour of Indian society, especially when the
country is restarting all its economic activities, after the complete
lockdown.
Method
The present paper is based on an extensive survey among 21 406 adult
participants of various sections of Indian society with different age groups
between 18 and 80 years to introspect the level of public awareness with
respect to cause, spread, prevention and treatment of disease caused by spread
of COVID-19 viral outbreak, which will be automatically reflected in the
societal behavioural response of rigorous precautionary measures.
Conclusions
There is a need to extend the knowledge base among individuals to enhance
their active participation in the prevention mechanisms with respect to the
spread of the pandemic. There is a need to elaborate the Indian socio-cultural
aspects, so that society starts appreciating and voluntarily following social
distancing. This should improve the adaptability of people with livelihood
resilience to let them protect themselves not only from the present pandemic
but also from all other unforeseen infections, and to provide care to
patients.