Risk Perception of COVID-19 Community Transmission among the Spanish Population

On 11 March 2020 the SARS-CoV−2 virus was officially declared a pandemic and measures were set up in various countries to avoid its spread among the population. This paper aims to analyse the perception of risk of COVID−19 infection in the Spanish population. A cross-sectional, descriptive observati...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Mansilla Domínguez, José Miguel, Font Jiménez, Isabel, Belzunegui Eraso, Ángel, Peña Otero, David, Díaz Pérez, David, Recio Vivas, Ana María
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad Europea (UEM)
Repositorio:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:abacus.universidadeuropea.com:11268/9810
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11268/9810
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Infecciones por coronavirus
Transmisión de enfermedad infecciosa
Política de salud
Virología
Enfermedad transmisible
Política de la salud
Descripción
Sumario:On 11 March 2020 the SARS-CoV−2 virus was officially declared a pandemic and measures were set up in various countries to avoid its spread among the population. This paper aims to analyse the perception of risk of COVID−19 infection in the Spanish population. A cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was conducted with a total of 16,372 Spanish participants. An online survey was used to gather data for 5 consecutive days over the compulsory lockdown period which was established after the state of emergency was declared. There is an association between socio-demographic variables and risk perception, and a very strong relationship between this perception and contact and direct experience with the virus in a family, social or professional setting. We also found that compared to working from home, working outside the home increased the perception of risk of infection and the perception of worsening health. Understanding the public perception of the risk of COVID−19 infection is fundamental for establishing effective prevention measures.