Highlights
- COVID-19 pandemic persists globally, with new variants and surges in
cases.
- Effective prophylactic strategies are crucial in limiting disease
transmission.
- Solid knowledge of COVID-19 could be effective in controlling pandemic
transmission.
- Higher education level associated with better knowledge of COVID-19.
Introduction:
COVID-19 has negatively impacted people’s lives globally , causing 3.29
million fatalities among 15 million sick people as of May 7, 2021 . In
countries that were more severely affected, the mortality scaled by
50%, while in those that strictly enforced lockdown measures, it
decreased by 5%. Few of these nations provided actual death figures,
but in many, it was found 1.6 times greater than the number of reported
disease-related deaths. Additionally, the disease caused the loss of
priceless time . As reported by 81 countries from January 2021, the
disease stole 20.5 million years of life, nine times higher than
seasonal influenza .
Public awareness about any outbreaks is crucial in mitigating the impact
of such events, as increased awareness leads to quick adaptation of
public health-related measures, fewer fatalities, and timely control.
Previous outbreak experiences witnessed that the success of outbreak
control depends upon attitude, knowledge, and public perception about it
. Numerous studies revealed a direct correlation between public
awareness of the disease and adherence to governmental regulations,
resulting in the containment of COVID-19 spread and development .
Vaccination played an important role in tumbling the diseases burden,
disability, and fatalities saving around 5 million people from deadly
ailments per year, evidenced in a history of tackling polio, tetanus,
hepatitis B, influenza, diphtheria, MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
and pertussis. Vaccine hesitancy is still a topic of debate as one of
the global health threats, as observed by the World Health Organization
(WHO) in 2019 . Nonetheless, various countries have been identified as
having high levels of vaccine reluctance, often due to some religious
beliefs, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Mongolia .
Pakistan is a developing South Asian country with a hybrid healthcare
system to which a minimum budget for medicines and medical products is
assigned . Pakistan’s population is estimated to be over 225 million in
2023 with a median age of 22.8 years and a literacy rate of 58.0% in
2019 . The country reported the first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on
February 26, 2020 , and disclosed 4601 confirmed cases in the next 45
days, on the 10th of April 2020, with a fatality toll of around 66
people. International organizations, such as the WHO, have praised the
Pakistani government for taking appropriate measures and actions to
prevent the pandemic’s spread and accomplish its duty as a state toward
its citizens and their safety . The government of Pakistan took several
measures to face COVID-19, including immediate response to contain
disease spread, border control, quarantine houses, country-wide
lockdown, cordoning off areas, testing and contact tracing, field
epidemiology laboratory training program, implementation of SOPs (masks,
sanitization, and social distancing), initiation of awareness campaigns
(role of community health workers), economic measures, and production of
ventilators . Six months after reporting the first case, the Pakistani
government’s efforts have resulted in a steady decline in active cases,
with the number of deaths reported each day frequently falling into the
single digits. As of October 1, 2020, the nation had 312,263 confirmed
cases, and 6479 people had died due to COVID-19 .
Although the Pakistani government tried hard to fight with COVID-19
emergency and speeded awareness through social and electronic media,
however, the country is the world’s 5th most populous region with a
poverty rate of 21.89% at national poverty lines in 2018 and expected
increased poverty after 2018 due to huge economic and political
instability . Therefore, understanding the public perception of COVID-19
and its vaccination is important, as it can influence people’s behavior
and decision-making related to the pandemic. Public perception can also
impact how government and health organizations respond to the pandemic,
including developing and implementing public health policies and
communication strategies.
Moreover, some people worldwide also related COVID-19 with Seasonal
Influenza, although there are important differences between the two
diseases. A novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, while seasonal influenza
is caused by different strains of influenza viruses. COVID-19 is more
contagious and can cause more severe illness and death than seasonal
influenza. However, both are transmissible via respiratory droplets and
share symptoms such as fever, cough, and body aches. Therefore, people
must grasp the differences between COVID-19 and seasonal influenza and
the potential hazards and benefits of vaccination against both diseases.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is currently one of the most effective ways
to protect oneself and others from the virus and its potentially severe
consequences .
Previous studies have hypothesized that the comprehension of the
pandemic and adherence to the public health guidelines might be
influenced by the quality and quantity of individuals’ education level .
Therefore, the questionnaire in this study is designed to evaluate
participants’ perspectives on the role of education in shaping their
perceptions of the pandemic. The
study aims to investigate the
connection between participants’ education level and their perception of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study aims to assess the evolution
of participants’ views and gain a better insight into the potential
impact of education on public perception of the pandemic over time,
considering that the study was conducted more than two years after the
pandemic’s initial outbreak. By incorporating multiple aspects of the
pandemic, this study aims to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the Pakistani public’s
perception of COVID-19 and the potential impact of education on their
perception of the pandemic.
2. Method: