Public Awareness of Preventive Measures against COVID-19: A Google Trends Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Mok ◽  
Oliver Oi Yat Mui ◽  
Kwan Pui Tang ◽  
Chi-Fai NG ◽  
Sunny Hei Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Temporal Trend ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Online Searching ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Heat Maps ◽  
Hand Sanitizer ◽  
Incidence Data

BACKGROUND The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has led to increase in global awareness of related public health preventive measures. The public awareness can be reflected by online searching trends of major search engines, namely Google Trends. OBJECTIVE This study aims to interpret online searches of COVID-19 related public health preventive measures and to identify possible correlations between early search trends and progression of the pandemic. METHODS Search data from five queries “Mask”, “Hand Washing”, “Social Distancing”, “Hand Sanitizer”, and “Disinfectant” were extracted from Google Trends (GT) in the form of Relative Search Volumes (RSV). Global incidence data of COVID-19 was obtained from January 1st to June 30th 2020. Subsequently, the data were analyzed and illustrated in forms of a global temporal RSV trend diagram, a geographical RSV distribution chart, scatter graphs comparing regional RSV with average daily cases; and heat-maps comparing temporal trend of RSV with average daily cases. RESULTS Global temporal trend revealed multiple surges in RSV, which were temporally associated with certain COVID news events. Geographical distribution showed differences of query interests among regions. Although scatter graphs failed to illustrate strong correlations between regional RSV and average daily cases, the heat-maps were able to demonstrate patterns of early RSV peaks in countries with lower average daily cases, for queries “Mask”, “Hand Sanitizer”, and “Disinfectant”, upon incorporating with the temporal element into analysis. CONCLUSIONS Early public awareness of multiple preventive measures was observed in countries with lower daily average cases. Public health authorities may look into early public awareness as an effective measure for future disease control.

scholarly journals Exploring online search behavior for COVID-19 preventive measures: The Philippine case

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249810
Author(s):  
Adrian Galido ◽  
Jerina Jean Ecleo ◽  
Atina Husnayain ◽  
Emily Chia-Yu Su
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hand Sanitizer ◽  
Search Terms

Public health agencies have suggested nonpharmaceutical interventions to curb the spread of the COVID-19 infections. The study intended to explore the information-seeking behavior and information needs on preventive measures for COVID-19 in the Philippine context. The search interests and related queries for COVID-19 terms and each of the preventive measures for the period from December 31, 2019 to April 6, 2020 were generated from Google Trends. The search terms employed for COVID-19 were coronavirus, ncov, covid-19, covid19 and “covid 19.” The search terms of the preventive measures considered for this study included “community quarantine”, “cough etiquette”, “face mask” or facemask, “hand sanitizer”, handwashing or “hand washing” and “social distancing.” Spearman’s correlation was employed between the new daily COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 terms and the different preventive measures. The relative search volume for the coronavirus disease showed an increase up to the pronouncement of the country’s first case of COVID-19. An uptrend was also evident after the country’s first local transmission was confirmed. A strong positive correlation (rs = .788, p < .001) was observed between the new daily cases and search interests for COVID-19. The search interests for the different measures and the new daily cases were also positively correlated. Similarly, the search interests for the different measures and the COVID-19 terms were all positively correlated. The search interests for “face mask” or facemask, “hand sanitizer” and handwashing or “hand washing” were more correlated with the search interest for COVID-19 than with the number of new daily COVID-19 cases. The search interests for “cough etiquette”, “social distancing” and “community quarantine” were more correlated with the number of new daily COVID-19 cases than with the search interest for COVID-19. The public sought for additional details such as type, directions for proper use, and where to purchase as well as do-it-yourself alternatives for personal protective items. Personal protective or community measures were expected to be accompanied with definitions and guidelines as well as be available in translated versions. Google Trends could be a viable option to monitor and address the information needs of the public during a disease outbreak. Capturing and analyzing the search interests of the public could support the design and timely delivery of appropriate information essential to drive preventive measures during a disease outbreak.

COVID-19 Related Web Search Behaviors: An Analytical Study of Google Trends-based Query Volumes in Indonesia (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vita Widyasari ◽  
Karisma Trinanda Putra ◽  
Jiun-Yi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Web Search ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
P Value ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Anxiety

BACKGROUND The volume of search keywords on Google can be used as a reference to an ongoing online trend during COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study was aimed to estimate the responsiveness and public awareness in early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia using Google Trends relative search volumes (RSV). METHODS Sixty terms or keywords forming six topics included in the analysis were basic information, prevention, government policy, socio-economic, anxiety, and other issues related to COVID-19. All these keywords were checked for surveillance purposes between January 1 and May 4, 2020. The Python programming language was used for data mining from Google Trends databases. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the correlations between the incidence of COVID-19 and the search terms. RESULTS Community response and awareness in the six topics were associated with the number of COVID-19 cases (r range between 0.570-0.825, P-value<.005). Before the first case announced in Indonesian, the prominent topics were basic information and other issues. One month after the first case, all topics experienced an increase in RSV. In the phase of outbreak, socio-economic and anxiety got much more attentions. CONCLUSIONS The government should consider to optimize the internet as a media for timely delivering most relevant information and dynamically respond massive queries, and improve health communications to increase public awareness and intention to prevent the disease.

scholarly journals Risk perception regarding the COVID-19 outbreak among the general population: a comparative Middle East survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Abdel Hameed Shahin ◽  
Rasha Mohammed Hussien
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
General Population ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background People’s perceptions of pandemic-associated risk are key factors contributing to increased public participation in disease preventive measures. The aim of the study was to investigate risk perceptions regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, among the general population. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 723 participants, recruited from the general population of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan. Data collection was performed using a standardized risk perception assessment questionnaire, in April 2020. Results The mean score for the perception of COVID-19 seriousness was significantly higher and the mean scores for the perception of disease susceptibility and extent of anxiety were also higher among Saudi Arabian participants than participants from Egypt and Jordan. Participants from Egypt had significantly lower mean scores for the perception of efficacy and self-efficacy to cope with COVID-19, and significantly lower intention to comply with COVID-19 precautionary measures than the other populations. A significant positive correlation was detected between the perception of COVID-19 seriousness and self-efficacy to handle COVID-19, for the entire sample. The primary reasons reported by participants driving their willingness to perform certain preventive measures against COVID-19 was a feeling of responsibility toward their own health, followed by preventing transmission to other people and the feeling that COVID-19 can be serious. Most of the study sample reported a desire to receive information about COVID-19 treatment, ways to prevent disease contraction, and the incubation period for the novel coronavirus. Also, most of the study sample reported that they prefer receiving COVID-19 updates from national authorities. Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, communications designed to promote the adoption of preventive behaviors should focus on increasing the perception of seriousness, the risk perception, self-efficacy to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effectiveness of the adopted behavioral measures for reducing risk. Health education programs that are tailored to various sociodemographic categories, to improve public awareness, perceptions, and attitudes, are vital for increasing the adoption of outbreak preventive measures.

scholarly journals Examining public knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards palliative care: a mixed method sequential study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja McIlfatrick ◽  
Paul Slater ◽  
Esther Beck ◽  
Olufikayo Bamidele ◽  
Sharon McCloskey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract Background Palliative care is recognised as a public health issue with the need for earlier integration in the wider healthcare system. However, research indicates that it continues to be accessed late in the course of an illness, public understanding of palliative care is limited, and common misconceptions prevail. Strategies to address this are needed in order to reduce barriers to palliative care delivery and improve access. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed methods study, comprising a cross-sectional survey and interviews was undertaken. Sociodemographic characteristics, public awareness, knowledge and perceptions of palliative care were examined and strategies to raise awareness and overcome barriers within a public health framework were identified. Survey data were analysed using SPSS v25 with factor analysis and non-parametric statistics and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results A total of 1201 participants completed the survey (58.3% female, mean age 61 years) and 25 took part in interviews. A fifth of participants (20.1%) had previously heard about palliative care and had an accurate understanding of the term. Being female, higher educated, married, and older, increased respondents’ levels of awareness. The three most commonly held misconceptions included: Palliative care is exclusively for people who are in the last 6 months of life (55.4% answered incorrectly); A goal of palliative care is to address any psychological issues brought up by serious illness (42.2% answered incorrectly); and a goal of palliative care is to improve a person’s ability to participate in daily activities (39.6% answered incorrectly). Talking about palliative and end of life care was advocated but societal taboos restricted this occurring with exposure limited to personal experience. Conclusions Current knowledge gaps and misconceptions derived from limited ad hoc personal experiences and fear of engaging in taboo conversations may deter people from accessing integrated palliative care services early in a disease trajectory. The results indicate the need for public education programmes that move beyond merely raising awareness but provide key messages within a public health approach, which may change attitudes to palliative care thus ultimately improving end of life outcomes.

scholarly journals Spread of Epidemic Disease on Edge-Weighted Graphs from a Database: A Case Study of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4432
Author(s):  
Ronald Manríquez ◽  
Camilo Guerrero-Nancuante ◽  
Felipe Martínez ◽  
Carla Taramasco
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Weighted Graph ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Sir Model ◽  
Weighted Graphs ◽  
Epidemic Disease ◽  
The Real

The understanding of infectious diseases is a priority in the field of public health. This has generated the inclusion of several disciplines and tools that allow for analyzing the dissemination of infectious diseases. The aim of this manuscript is to model the spreading of a disease in a population that is registered in a database. From this database, we obtain an edge-weighted graph. The spreading was modeled with the classic SIR model. The model proposed with edge-weighted graph allows for identifying the most important variables in the dissemination of epidemics. Moreover, a deterministic approximation is provided. With database COVID-19 from a city in Chile, we analyzed our model with relationship variables between people. We obtained a graph with 3866 vertices and 6,841,470 edges. We fitted the curve of the real data and we have done some simulations on the obtained graph. Our model is adjusted to the spread of the disease. The model proposed with edge-weighted graph allows for identifying the most important variables in the dissemination of epidemics, in this case with real data of COVID-19. This valuable information allows us to also include/understand the networks of dissemination of epidemics diseases as well as the implementation of preventive measures of public health. These findings are important in COVID-19’s pandemic context.

scholarly journals The Influence of Social Media use on Practice of Covid-19 Preventive Measures Among Ethiopian Residents: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Abinet Arega Sadore ◽  
Demelash Woldeyohannes Handiso ◽  
Tekle Ejajo Wontamo ◽  
Dejene Ermias Mekango ◽  
Sisay Moges
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preventive Practice ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Background: Infection with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a severe public health issue worldwide. A broad amount of information related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was disseminated by social media in Ethiopia. To date, there is limited evidence on the influence of social media use for covid-19 related information on covid-19 preventive practice. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of social media use on the practice of COVID-19 preventive measures in Ethiopia. Methods: This study employed an anonymous internet-based online cross-sectional survey using Google forms to collects the data from the respondents from 15 May to 17 June 2020 in Ethiopia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between social media usage as a predictor and COVID-19 preventive practice, after adjusting for socio-demographic and risk perception of COVID-19 variables. The data were analysed using SPSS version 21. Results: A total of 372 respondents have participated in the study. From 372, 208(55.9%) respondents in this study were male. Study participants who had good utilization of social media to get COVID-19 related information were 9.5 times engaged in COVID-19 preventive practices compared to study participants who had poor utilization of social media to get covid-19 related information (AOR= 9.59, 95% CI = 5.70 - 16.13). Also, study participants who had a high-risk perception of COVID-19 were 2.6 times engaged in COVID-19 practices compared to study participants who had a low-risk perception of covid-19 (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.58 - 4.38). Study participants who were students at the time of this study were four times more likely to show adequate COVID-19 preventive practice score compared to those who had another occupational status (AOR= 4.07, 95% CI= 1.66 - 9.98) Conclusions: Our results show that the usage of social media networks can have a positive effect on the practice of preventive measures and public safety against COVID-19; high-risk perception contributed to preventive activities against COVID-19. Social networking platforms can be used by public health agencies as an important method to raise public health understanding by disseminating concise messages to targeted audiences.

Impact of the World Hand Hygiene and Global Handwashing Days on Public Awareness between 2016 and 2020: Google Trends Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshito Nishimura ◽  
Hideharu Hagiya ◽  
Koichi Keitoku ◽  
Toshihiro Koyama ◽  
Fumio Otsuka
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
Trends Analysis

scholarly journals Medication Error in Anaesthesia – A Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
Montosh Kumar Mondal ◽  
Beauty Rani Roy ◽  
Shibani Banik ◽  
Debabrata Banik
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Medication Error ◽  
Medication Errors ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Global Public Health Problem

Medication error is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in medical profession . There is an increasing recognition that medication errors are causing a substantial global public health problem, as many result in harm to patients and increased costs to health providers.Anaesthesia is now safe and routine, yet anaesthetists are not immune from making medication errors and the consequences of their mistakes may be more serious than those of doctors in other specialties. Steps are being taken to determine the extent of the problem of medication error in anaesthesia. In this review, incidence, types, risk factors and preventive measures of the medication errors are discussed in detail.Journal of Bangladesh Society of Anaesthesiologists 2014; 27(1): 31-35

scholarly journals Using Google Trends to Examine the Spatio-Temporal Incidence and Behavioral Patterns of Dengue Disease: A Case Study in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howell T. Ho ◽  
Thaddeus M. Carvajal ◽  
John Robert Bautista ◽  
Jayson Dale R. Capistrano ◽  
Katherine M. Viacrusis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Epidemiological Methods ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Health Seeking Behavior ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Dengue is a major public health concern and an economic burden in the Philippines. Despite the country’s improved dengue surveillance, it still suffers from various setbacks and needs to be complemented with alternative approaches. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of Internet-based surveillance such as Google Dengue Trends (GDT) in supplementing current epidemiological methods for predicting future dengue outbreaks and patterns. With this, our study has two objectives: (1) assess the temporal relationship of weekly GDT and dengue incidence in Metropolitan Manila from 2009–2014; and (2) examine the health-seeking behavior based on dengue-related search queries of the population. The study collated the population statistics and reported dengue cases in Metropolitan Manila from respective government agencies to calculate the dengue incidence (DI) on a weekly basis for the entire region and annually per city. Data processing of GDT and dengue incidence was performed by conducting an ‘adjustment’ and scaling procedures, respectively, and further analyzed for correlation and cross-correlation analyses using Pearson’s correlation. The relative search volume of the term ‘dengue’ and top dengue-related search queries in Metropolitan Manila were obtained and organized from the Google Trends platform. Afterwards, a thematic analysis was employed, and word clouds were generated to examine the health behavior of the population. Results showed that weekly temporal GDT pattern are closely similar to the weekly DI pattern in Metropolitan Manila. Further analysis showed that GDT has a moderate and positive association with DI when adjusted or scaled, respectively. Cross-correlation analysis revealed a delayed effect where GDT leads DI by 1–2 weeks. Thematic analysis of dengue-related search queries indicated 5 categories namely; (a) dengue, (b) sign and symptoms of dengue, (c) treatment and prevention, (d) mosquito, and (e) other diseases. The majority of the search queries were classified in ‘signs and symptoms’ which indicate the health-seeking behavior of the population towards the disease. Therefore, GDT can be utilized to complement traditional disease surveillance methods combined with other factors that could potentially identify dengue hotspots and help in public health decisions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document