AUTHOR=Tejamaya Mila , Widanarko Baiduri , Erwandi Dadan , Putri Amelia Anggarawati , Sunarno Stevan D. A. M. , Wirawan I Made Ady , Kurniawan Bina , Thamrin Yahya 

TITLE=Risk Perception of COVID-19 in Indonesia During the First Stage of the Pandemic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.731459

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.731459

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Community perceptions of early stage pandemics may have significant implications for subsequent disease control and management. Perceptions of COVID-19 amongst Indonesian citizens were assessed two months after the first reported case in the country. An online survey instrument was used and adapted from a standardized questionnaire for risk perception of an infectious disease outbreak. Perceptions of COVID-19 level of knowledge, newness, infectiousness, fatalities, modes of transmission, control measures, efficacy of control measures as well as motivation and hindering factors in the execution of prevention methods were investigated. A total of 1,043 respondents participated in this study. Their main sources of information were social media (85.2%) and online news (82.2%). Nearly all were aware that COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and with the main modes of transmission thought to be through saliva droplets (97.1%) and contaminated surfaces (86.5%). The participants reported a good knowledge on control measures, a belief in their efficacy and a willingness to carry out control measures. More than 95% of the respondents perceived COVID-19 as serious or very serious. However, the level of anxiety was moderate, suggesting risk tolerance in the community. Follow-up studies, at later stages in the pandemic are warranted.