Highlights

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: