Risk Factors Associated with Contracting COVID-19 Infection in Selected Regions of Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has become a global health crisis requiring immediate attention to develop different interventions. While several studies were done to understand its dynamics to determine the most vulnerable groups, the differential effects of the factors associated with contracting COVID-19 in different communities call for a localized understanding of its risks. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the risk factors that drive the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 in selected regions of Mindanao during the pre-mass vaccination period. Probit and Logit models were employed to analyze the association of the socio-demographic, economic, and climatic factors to a total of 64,507 and 6,599 laboratory results from the Department of Health Region Northern Mindanao and the Zamboanga Peninsula, respectively. In both regions, age, sex, being a health worker, having COVID-19 close contact, and the implementation of the General Community Quarantine were found to significantly affect the likelihood of acquiring the COVID-19 disease. In addition, in Northern Mindanao, factors such as travel history, rainfall, poverty incidence, and the implementation of the Modified General Community Quarantine were also found to significantly affect the likelihood of acquiring the disease. This study provides empirical evidence for developing context-specific interventions to effectively manage and prepare for future COVID-19 outbreaks and other infectious diseases with similar dynamics.