Knowledge and practices towards COVID-19 among Palestinians during the COVID-19 outbreak: A second round cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly transmissible illness that spreads rapidly through human-to-human transmission. To assess the knowledge and practices of Palestinians towards COVID-19 after the ease of movement restrictions, we collected data from Palestinian adults between June 15th and June 30th 2020. The participants’ pool represented a stratified sample of 1355 adults from Palestinian households across 11 governorates in the West Bank. The questionnaire included 7 demographic questions, 13 questions about participants’ knowledge and awareness of COVID–19, and 4 questions regarding the participants’ safety measures that had been taken in the last three months. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that the majority of participants have a good knowledge about COVID-19, but were not adequately committed to the infection control measures necessary to protect themselves and others. The findings may provide valuable feedback to lawmakers and health administrators to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

Public knowledge, beliefs, psychological responses, and behavioural changes during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Middle East

“…Up to this day, there are several research articles globally and in the Middle East examining the psychological and behavioral impact and public perceptions of the pandemic. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Such findings would provide public health officials with the needed data leading to policy updates regarding the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East. This study will evaluate the knowledge, beliefs and behavioural impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the general population in the Middle East, exploring how it impacted public lives.…”