Most Ilonggos feel ‘invincible’ to COVID-19, survey says

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

Majority of Ilonggos feel invincible to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a research by Random Access Consultants Inc. (RACI) that was commissioned by the Iloilo City government.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the finding was culled from the answers of 200 respondents in seven districts of the city.

The aim of the survey was to get a feel of how residents understand the virus and to look for possible solutions.

“We identified that majority of them believed that they are not prone to the virus. Many also self-medicate when family members experience flu, while only a few volunteered to be tested for possible COVID-19 infection,” Treñas said.

Jeck Conlu, spokesperson of the Iloilo City COVID-19 team, said majority of the respondents thought that COVID only infects persons above 60 years old and below 18 years old.

“Some of them said they know the health protocols such as frequent handwashing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing but they seldom observe these rules. These findings are considered red flags because our efforts to flatten the infection curve will be wasted if we become complacent,” Conlu said.

Treñas said active information drive is needed to educate the public on the effects of COVID not only to them know but their communities as well.

“The findings motivate us to strengthen our information drive to provide awareness to the community. We will continue to look for strategies to flatten the curve, and secure the safety of every Ilonggo,” Treñas said.

RACI is led by UP Visayas Professors Vicente Balinas, an expert on statistics; and Liza Baliao, a sociologist.

Based on the RACI survey, 50 percent of the respondents were males while 50 percent were females who live in different districts of the city. Their ages are between 18 and 60 years old and older and majority had high school education.

A large majority of the respondents belong to the lower income class.

What were the highlights of the RACI survey?

-Majority of the respondents said persons who are prone to COVID are more than 60 years old and children who are not yet 5 years old.

-Majority of the respondents believes that they are not prone to COVID.

-Majority of the respondents believes that COVID can spread through the saliva or sweat of a person with COVID.

-Majority of the respondents think that symptoms of COVID include fever and cough.

-Majority of the respondents think that washing of hands using alcohol or soap and water will prevent the spread of COVID.

 

HEALTH PRACTICES

The survey also asked the respondents what they think are the necessary things that they should do when a member of their family shows symptoms of COVID.

Their responses were categorized as follows: (a) ask for advice; (b) look for remedy; and (c) bring family member for check-up.

For respondents who said it is necessary to ask for advice, majority feels that the advice of the Barangay Health Worker (BHW) should be sought when a family member shows symptoms of COVID.

Among respondents who said it is necessary to find a remedy for the illness, majority thinks that the family member should be given medication.

Among respondents who said it is necessary to bring the family member for medical check-up, majority is likely to bring the family member to the Health Center.

Majority of the respondents said they have no family member who had flu during the pandemic. Also, majority of the respondents adhere to safety protocols; however, their degree of adherence varies from one protocol to the next.

The survey also found out that the use of face mask at home is not a popular practice as respondents don’t find it necessary. Majority of the respondents use face masks when they are outside of the house, when going to other places, or in the presence of old people.

But less than a majority use face masks in the presence of babies.

Majority of the respondents practice the washing of hands with soap and water or alcohol. Most of them practice handwashing before eating, after using the toilet, and after holding money.

Majority of the respondents said they also observe social distancing and cover their mouths when sneezing and coughing. They also use face shields when outside the house.

Other protocols that are not strictly followed include: (a) going out of the house when not feeling well; (b) isolating oneself from family members when one has fever or flu; (c) the use of separate utensils when one has flu; (d) the use of separate room when one has flu; and (e) the taking of vitamin C with zinc.

As to the local government’s performance against COVID, majority of the respondents believes that the Treñas administration can stop the spread of COVID in Iloilo City by January 2021.

 

ANALYSIS

What are the implications raised by the survey on Ilonggos’ attitude towards COVID-19?

For one, majority of the respondents trusts that they are not prone to COVID because a large majority believe that only persons who are over 60 years old and children who are not yet 5 years of age are susceptible to the disease.

Knowledge does not easily translate to practice, the study said. While majority of the respondents believe that the old and the very young are susceptible to COVID, only a small majority use face masks ALL THE TIME in the presence of old people; and less than 50% use face masks ALL THE TIME in the presence of babies.

Majority of the respondents claimed that the symptoms of COVID include fever and cough yet when a family member has flu, an overwhelming majority just provide medication for the patient.  Very few bring the patient to the doctor for check-up. Few also ask for advice from the BHW or some other authority.

Many of the respondents believe that washing hands with soap and water or with alcohol will help prevent the spread of COVID, yet not everyone washed their hands with soap and water or alcohol ALL THE TIME.

While majority is aware that they should have clean hands all the time, there is a significant percentage that do not wash their hands ALL THE TIME after holding money, before eating or after using the toilet.

Social distancing, the easiest to follow among the many protocols, is observed by a small majority ALL THE TIME. There are respondents who observe it ALWAYS and some who observe it NOT SO OFTEN.

Changing of clothes upon reaching home is observed by a small majority ALL THE TIME.

Some important protocols such as not going out of the house when one is not feeling well; physical avoidance of other family members when one has fever or flu; use of separate utensils when one has flu; and using a separate room in the house when one has flu is followed by less than the majority ALL THE TIME.

Taking of vitamin C with zinc is done by a small majority ALL THE TIME.

While majority of the respondents claimed they have enough knowledge of COVID to protect themselves against it, many want to know how they can protect themselves from COVID.

They also want to know what exactly the symptoms of COVID are as well as how COVID spreads from one person to the next.  All these are indications that the respondents are not very confident of their knowledge about COVID.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

The study did not include questions related to non-adherence to protocols despite the respondents’ awareness of it. If a focus group discussion is to be held, these questions should be included.

The study found that the radio stations such as Bombo Radyo and Aksyon Radyo are the respondents’ major sources of information about COVID.

But the study noted that these radio stations do not have specific programs meant to educate the public about COVID. There is no way that the content of the information provided can be evaluated. Thus, there is no data as to what exactly people know about COVID.

Nevertheless, it is wise to develop a content that will address the information needs of the respondents as indicated in the study results.

Aside from the radio stations, the respondents identified the Barangay Health Worker as a good source of additional information about COVID. If the suggestion is to be followed, Barangay Health Workers can be trained to provide information to the people in the barangay as well.