Table 3 Magnitude of COVID-19 misconceptions among Gondar town residents, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020 (n = 623)
Variables | Strongly disagree | Disagree | Neutral | Agree | Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Do you agree COVID-19 mainly affects older people? | 44 (7.1%) | 61 (9.8%) | 14 (2.3%) | 276 (44.3%) | 228 (36.6%) |
Do you believe that it is easy to become infected with COVID-19 on an airplane? | 54 (8.7%) | 135 (21.7%) | 113 (18.1%) | 226 (36.3%) | 95 (15.25%) |
Do you believe that it is safe to receive packages from foreigners? | 88 (14.1%) | 190 (30.5%) | 103 (16.5%) | 170 (27.3%) | 72 (11.6%) |
Do you think that wearing a face mask is enough to protect you from catching COVID-19? | 123 (19.7%) | 260 (41.7%) | 45 (7.2%) | 134 (21.5%) | 61 (9.8%) |
A hot cup of coffee or tea will help kill the virus. | 109 (17.5%) | 173 (27.8%) | 47 (7.5%) | 246 (39.5%) | 48 (7.7%) |
Eating garlic and onions will help ward off the virus. | 121 (19.4%) | 201 (32.3%) | 38 (6.1%) | 208 (33.4%) | 55 (8.8%) |
Drinking alcohol does not protect you against COVID-19. | 90 (14.5%) | 140 (22.5%) | 50 (8.0%) | 205 (32.9%) | 138 (22.2%) |
COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates. | 95 (15.3%) | 168 (27.0%) | 72 (11.6%) | 213 (34.2%) | 75 (12.0%) |
COVID-19 does not affect Africans. | 239 (38.4%) | 232 (37.2%) | 47 (7.5%) | 80 (12.8%) | 25 (4.0%) |
Spray alcohol and chlorine all over your body to protect against COVID-19. | 93 (14.9%) | 217 (34.8%) | 62 (10.0%) | 199 (31.9%) | 52 (8.4%) |
Adding pepper to your soup or other meals does prevent or cure COVID-19. | 117 (18.8%) | 201 (32.3%) | 45 (7.2%) | 220 (35.3%) | 40 (6.4%) |