Table 2 COVID-19 related information among surveyed households in Dailekh and Achham districts, December 2021
COVID-19 related information | [N (%)] | Dailekh [n (%)] | Acham [n (%)] | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Heard about COVID-19 | 457 (94.2) | 230 (94.6) | 227 (93.8) | 0.69 |
Knowledge about symptoms of COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Fever | 405 (83.3) | 196 (80.3) | 209 (86.4) | 0.07 |
 Cough | 386 (79.4) | 189 (77.5) | 197 (81.4) | 0.28 |
 Head pain | 232 (47.7) | 140 (57.4) | 92 (38.0) | 0.01 |
 Difficulty of breathing | 158 (32.5) | 86 (35.2) | 72 (29.7) | 0.20 |
 Loss of taste | 116 (23.9) | 45 (18.4) | 71 (29.3) | 0.01 |
 Pain in the throat | 65 (13.4) | 39 (16.0) | 26 (10.7) | 0.09 |
 Loss of smell | 61 (12.6) | 22 (9.0) | 39 (16.1) | 0.02 |
 Pain in the joints | 50 (10.3) | 32 (13.1) | 18 (7.4) | 0.04 |
 Tiredness | 20 (4.1) | 16 (6.6) | 4 (1.7) | 0.01 |
 Diarrhea | 14 (2.9) | 9 (3.7) | 5 (2.1) | 0.29 |
 Conjunctivitis | 10 (2.1) | 5 (2.0) | 5 (2.1) | 0.99 |
Received any special information on particular hygiene measures that should be taken to avoid COVID-19 during the pandemic | 402 (87.8) | 198 (85.7) | 204 (89.9) | 0.17 |
Self-reported preventive measures taken after receiving information on COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Social distancing | 294 (60.5) | 150 (61.5) | 144 (59.5) | 0.66 |
 Wear face mask in public | 257 (52.9) | 132 (54.1) | 125 (51.7) | 0.59 |
 Wash hands more often | 196 (40.3) | 86 (35.3) | 110 (45.5) | 0.02 |
 Constructed handwashing station | 127 (26.1) | 85 (34.8) | 42 (17.4) | 0.01 |
 Regularly disinfect drinking water | 127 (26.1) | 59 (24.2) | 68 (28.1) | 0.33 |
 Disinfect hands regularly | 92 (18.9) | 48 (19.7) | 44 (18.2) | 0.68 |
Routes of transmitting the virus | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 By breathing aerosols from infected persons | 299 (61.5) | 166 (68.0) | 133 (55.0) | 0.01 |
 If virus comes in contact with mucus membranes after  touching contaminated surfaces | 236 (48.6) | 105 (43.0) | 131 (54.1) | 0.01 |
 By drinking contaminated water | 81 (16.7) | 55 (22.5) | 26 (10.7) | 0.01 |
 Other routes mentioned | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0.16 |
Measures used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Wear face masks | 411 (84.6) | 203 (83.2) | 208 (86.0) | 0.40 |
 Keep social distance | 389 (80.0) | 200 (82.0) | 189 (78.1) | 0.29 |
 Regularly wash hands | 374 (77.0) | 181 (74.2) | 193 (79.7) | 0.15 |
 Disinfect contaminated surfaces (or hands) | 60 (12.4) | 32 (13.1) | 28 (11.6) | 0.61 |
 None | 2 (0.4) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0.16 |
 Other protection mentioned | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.00 |
Application of above mentioned protective measures | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Never | 40 (8.7) | 30 (13.0) | 10 (4.4) | 0.01 |
 Seldom | 70 (15.3) | 14 (6.1) | 56 (24.7) | |
 Sometimes | 211 (46.2) | 99 (43.0) | 112 (49.3) | |
 Often | 128 (28.0) | 79 (34.3) | 49 (21.6) | |
 Always | 8 (1.8) | 8 (3.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
At least one family member contracted COVID-19 | 268 (58.8) | 150 (65.2) | 118 (52.2) | 0.01 |
Number of family members that contracted COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 None | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.8) | 0.56 |
 1–5 | 194 (72.9) | 109 (73.1) | 85 (72.7) | |
 6–10 | 70 (26.3) | 39 (26.2) | 31 (26.5) | |
 11–15 | 1 (0.4) | 1 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
Number of family members with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 None | 192 (42.0) | 82 (35.5) | 110 (48.6) | 0.02 |
 1–5 | 256 (56.0) | 144 (62.3) | 112 (49.6) | |
 6–10 | 9 (2.0) | 5 (2.2) | 4 (1.8) | |
Measures taken for treating COVID-19 infected persons | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Stay at home and treat with herbal medicine | 257 (52.9) | 142 (58.2) | 115 (47.5) | 0.02 |
 Stay at home and treat with medication from pharmacy | 20 (4.1) | 12 (4.9) | 8 (3.3) | 0.37 |
 Go to the health center for a test | 15 (3.1) | 9 (3.7) | 6 (2.5) | 0.44 |
 Go to the hospital | 8 (1.6) | 6 (2.5) | 2 (0.8) | 0.16 |
Number of family members needing treatment in the health center or hospital due to COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 None | 153 (42.3) | 5 (3.4) | 148 (69.5) | 0.01 |
 One | 106 (29.3) | 52 (34.9) | 54 (25.3) | |
 Two | 85 (23.5) | 76 (51.0) | 9 (4.2) | |
 Three | 15 (4.1) | 15 (10.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
 Four | 3 (0.8) | 1 (0.7) | 2 (0.9) | |
Family members dying due to COVID-19 | 43 (11.9) | 20 (13.4) | 23 (10.8) | 0.45 |
Measures taken to protect family members or the community after having had contact with an infected person | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Stayed in quarantine | 282 (61.8) | 145 (63.0) | 137 (60.6) | 0.59 |
 Other measures mentioned | 174 (38.2) | 85 (37.0) | 89 (39.4) | |
Information source used for learning about COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Radio | 316 (65.0) | 142 (58.2) | 174 (71.9) | 0.01 |
 Community members | 286 (58.8) | 148 (60.7) | 138 (57.0) | 0.42 |
 Health staff | 203 (41.8) | 96 (39.3) | 107 (44.2) | 0.28 |
 Family members | 154 (31.7) | 82 (33.6) | 72 (29.8) | 0.36 |
 Television | 86 (17.7) | 63 (25.8) | 23 (9.5) | 0.01 |
 Internet | 85 (17.5) | 64 (26.2) | 21 (8.7) | 0.01 |
 Public posters | 56 (11.5) | 28 (11.5) | 28 (11.6) | 0.97 |
 Newspaper | 44 (9.0) | 36 (14.8) | 8 (3.3) | 0.01 |
 Other | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.00 |
Information source that provided the most helpful information | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Radio | 211 (46.2) | 79 (34.2) | 132 (58.4) | 0.01 |
 Community members | 120 (26.3) | 66 (28.6) | 54 (23.9) | |
 TV | 47 (10.3) | 37 (16.0) | 10 (4.4) | |
 Health staff | 32 (7.0) | 15 (6.7) | 17 (7.5) | |
 Family members | 24 (5.2) | 16 (6.9) | 8 (3.5) | |
 Internet | 19 (4.2) | 17 (7.4) | 2 (0.9) | |
 Newspaper | 2 (0.4) | 1 (0.4) | 1 (0.4) | |
 Public posters | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) | |
 Other | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) | |
Community complied with social distancing measures | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 To a great extent | 25 (5.5) | 19 (8.2) | 6 (2.6) | 0.01 |
 To a moderate extent | 89 (19.4) | 62 (26.8) | 27 (11.9) | |
 To some extent | 146 (31.9) | 97 (42.0) | 49 (21.6) | |
 To a small extent | 173 (37.8) | 42 (18.2) | 131 (37.8) | |
 Not at all | 25 (5.5) | 11 (4.8) | 14 (6.2) | |
Top concerns relating to COVID-19 | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Contracting COVID-19 | 231 (47.5) | 116 (47.5) | 115 (47.5) | 0.99 |
 Loss of job | 198 (40.7) | 109 (44.7) | 89 (36.8) | 0.08 |
 Friends or family contracting COVID-19 | 194 (39.9) | 89 (36.5) | 105 (43.4) | 0.12 |
 Mental health or wellbeing | 134 (27.6) | 79 (32.4) | 55 (22.7) | 0.02 |
 Loss of income | 127 (26.1) | 70 (28.7) | 57 (23.6) | 0.20 |
 Being unable to access healthcare services | 85 (17.5) | 33 (13.5) | 52 (21.5) | 0.02 |
 Long-term economic decline | 78 (16.0) | 24 (9.8) | 54 (22.3) | 0.01 |
 Being unable to access social services | 46 (9.5) | 24 (9.8) | 22 (9.1) | 0.78 |
 No concerns | 30 (6.2) | 14 (5.7) | 16 (6.6) | 0.69 |
 Lack of social interaction | 18 (3.7) | 10 (4.10) | 8 (3.3) | 0.64 |
 Lack of safety while staying at home | 14 (2.9) | 12 (4.9) | 2 (0.8) | 0.01 |
 Increase in cost/availability of goods | 12 (2.5) | 8 (3.3) | 4 (1.7) | 0.25 |
 Increased instances of violence | 3 (0.6) | 2 (0.8) | 1 (0.4) | 0.57 |
 Other | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0.00 |