How did Americans fare in doing their part to forestall the spread of COVID-19? A latest survey has found that about 40% weren’t all the time quite honest about their COVID-19 status or didn’t comply with public health measures.
For the study, published Monday in JAMA Network Open, researchers checked out the prevalence of Americans’ “misrepresentation and non-adherence” to the general public health measures against COVID-19. In addition they checked out people’s reasoning behind their actions.
“Public health measures have the potential to dramatically reduce the spread and impact of the disease, but their success will depend on the general public’s willingness to be honest about and adherent to those measures,” the researchers wrote.
To do that, they conducted a national survey on a sample of 1,733 U.S. adults in December 2021. They asked them in the event that they ever misrepresented their COVID-19 or vaccination status or told someone that they were following the general public health measures after they weren’t, the University of Utah Health Services (U of U Health) noted in a news release.
They were also asked whether or not they broke health protocols in the course of the pandemic, corresponding to avoiding getting tested or breaking quarantine rules. Those that reported misrepresentation or non-adherence answered “yes or no” to an inventory of reasons behind their actions.
The researchers found that 41.6% of the respondents reported misrepresentation and/or non-adherence to at the least one in all the nine differing kinds they were asked about. A number of the mostly reported incidents were breaking quarantine rules and telling someone they were with or were about to satisfy that they were “taking more COVID-19 preventive measures than they really were.”
Others avoided getting tested even after they thought they might need the disease or said they were vaccinated even in the event that they weren’t. There have been also those that didn’t mention that they’d, or might need, COVID-19 upon getting screened to enter a physician’s office or a public place.
And in relation to the explanations behind their actions, researchers found that essentially the most common responses were: “I wanted my life to feel ‘normal,'” “I desired to exercise my freedom to do what I would like,” “It’s nobody else’s business,” “I didn’t feel very sick” and “I used to be following guidance from a public figure I trust.” Such public figures include politicians, celebrities or someone they’ve seen on the news.
Some also noted that they “didn’t think COVID-19 was real” or “was a giant deal.” Younger participants in addition to those that had “greater disbelief in science” were more more likely to misrepresent or not adhere to the general public health measures.
“Similarly, greater disbelief in science has been a very important factor related to non-adherence to health behaviors in the course of the pandemic (eg, masking, vaccination uptake) and beyond,” the researchers wrote. “These groups may represent a very important focus for efforts to handle misrepresentation and non-adherence.”
Based on the researchers, having “nearly half” of the respondents report such misrepresentation and/or non-adherence can have slightly dire consequences. It could not only extend the pandemic but can also put other people in danger, a few of whom could also be quite vulnerable to the disease.
“Some individuals might imagine in the event that they fib about their COVID-19 status a few times, it isn’t a giant deal,” study senior writer Angela Fagerlin of U of U Health said within the news release. “But when, as our study suggests, nearly half of us are doing it, that is a major problem that contributes to prolonging the pandemic.”
“When persons are dishonest about their COVID-19 status or what precautions they’re taking, it will possibly increase the spread of disease of their community,” study co-lead writer Andrea Gurmankin Levy of U of U Health added. “For some people, particularly before we had COVID vaccines, that may mean death.”
The outcomes of the study show that misrepresentation and non-adherence “constitutes a serious public health challenge” in the course of the pandemic, the researchers said. And it highlights the concerns that folks had in relation to public health protocols.
This, based on the researchers, shows the necessity to have a have a look at the strategies to teach the general public on the importance of honesty and following public health measures. Moreover, it “underscores” the necessary role that public figures have in these measures.