Introduction: Fear is the normal response to any perceived threat, especially when it comes to contracting a new disease, resulting in stress and anxiety. This study was conducted during the peak epidemic phase of COVID-19 in Pakistan to assess fear level among the Pakistani population regarding COVID-19.
Method:A cross-sectional study was conducted during June-July 2020 in Pakistan. A pre-designed questionnaire based on "Fear of COVID-19 Scale" was distributed through email and social media platforms using voluntary response sampling. Descriptive analysis was conducted and frequencies were calculated. Each response was scored as 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The fear level was categorized as high (>20 score), Moderate (14-20 score) and low (<14 score). Inferential analysis was carried out using multiple logistic regression, at 95% confidence interval and P<0.05.Results: A total of 489 individuals were contacted and 404 individuals participated in this study (Response Rate: 83%). Mean age was 29 years (SD: ±14.5), 54.5% were males, literacy rate was 90.1%, employment rate was 89.1%, 49.5% were previously infected with COVID-19, and 58.4% were unmarried. Out of total, 45% of the population showed a moderate level of fear. Chi-square analysis revealed that factors including gender, education, marital status, occupation and province of residence were associated with different levels of fear. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that individuals previously infected with COVID-19 (OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.65-3.71, P=0.004), and males(OR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.82-3.70, P=0.01) were significantly more likely to have a high level of fear. Higher education level had a protective association against "Moderate (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18-0.811, P=0.01)" and "High (OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.17-0.66, P=0.002)" fear levels. Similarly, married persons had lower odds of having high fear (OR: 0.55 95% CI: 0.21-0.69, P=0.001) Conclusion and Recommendations: It is evident that a COVID-19 linked fear exists in different groups of the Pakistani community, especially among males and previously infected cases. Therefore, there is a need to conduct health awareness and education campaigns for high risk groups focusing on psycho-social issues. It is also recommended to design, develop and implement different public health interventions for mitigation of COVID-19 linked fear in the society.
