Fear of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study among general population in Telangana during lockdown

Abstract

Background: The Novel Coronavirus-19, emerged from Wuhan, China, spread throughout the world. This pandemic with its influence on each and every aspect of life, posed a much greater impact on mental health. Heightened level of anxiety, fear of contracting the virus, future uncertainties are commonly seen among general population during pandemics. Aim: To assess the fear of COVID-19 among general population of Telangana during lockdown period in India. Materials and Methods: An online survey was conducted using Google Forms. Fear of Covid-19 scale was used for assessment. Non probability snow ball sampling technique was used for collecting data. Results: A total of 245 responses were received, of which 10 responders had pre-existing psychiatric illness and were excluded. Of the remaining 235 participants, 47.2% were females and 52.8% were males. Mean age was 31.46 ± 9.82 years. 54% were educated till postgraduate level. 51.1% were married. 32% were health care professionals and involved in essential care services. The mean score of Fear of Covid-19 scale was 14.27 ± 4.29. 74.9% participants had fear of Covid-19. 61.7% felt uncomfortable when thinking about the novel Corona virus. More than 39.6% candidates were distressed on hearing/watching news about Covid-19. Around 13% participants reported disturbance in their sleep due to worry of getting infected with Corona virus. Findings imply that there was fear of Covid-19 spread among general population of Telangana during lockdown period.