Perceptions and practices of COVID-19 among the elderly in rural India: A cross-sectional study during the pandemic lockdown

Abstract

: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly were the worst affected due to their co-morbidities and social and financial dependency. Limited access to resources contributed to the problem.: To assess the perceptions and practices regarding COVID-19 in the elderly attending the outpatient department of a government hospital and to assess the socio-cultural problems faced by the geriatric population due to the change in social situation as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an interviewer administered schedule to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of COVID-19 among 124 elderly who visited the hospital in the study period for various reasons. : The mean age of the subjects was 67.65 years +/- 7.04. Hypertension and diabetes were present among 40.8% and 32.0% respectively. Awareness of common symptoms of COVID-19 was present among 80.6%, awareness of mode of spread among 79.8% and preventive measures among 97.5%. Knowledge of mask as a preventive measure was present among 49.2% of the subjects, reusing the masks was done by 94.3% and covering both nose and mouth was performed by only 57.2%. 78.2% firmly believed that treatment for the disease does not exist. 71.0% felt that social distancing is difficult to accomplish. Vaccine hesitancy was also an important factor unearthed by our study.: Our study found that most of the elderly attending the outpatient clinic were aware of government recommended guidelines concerning COVID -19 safety precautions, but were not following them as per recommendations. We recommend a three-pronged model addressing the issues of citizens, raising awareness on guidelines of COVID-19 prevention and prevention of overcrowding.