Knowledge and Beliefs towards Universal Safety Precautions to flatten the curve during Novel Coronavirus Disease (nCOVID-19) Pandemic among general Public in India: Explorations from a National Perspective

Sai Krishna Gudi; Krishna Undela; Rajesh Venkataraman; Uday Venkat Mateti; Manik Chhabra; Sanath Nyamagoud; Komal Krishna Tiwari

Firstly, it observed that either proactive or reactive school closure found to be moderately effective in reducing the transmission of influenza and could only delay the peak of the pandemic by a week; however, it was associated with the high secondary cost. It also mentioned that the main purpose of the school closure policy during the pandemic might not be optimally achieved as most of the children may engage in outdoor activities during the school closure period. Secondly, a similar type of results was noticed with the workplace closure and home working interventions, where they are modestly effective and acceptable, while increases the secondary cost. Instead, these interventions would affect workplace business productivity and might not be equally convenient for all the employees. In this regard, it also stated that working from home with the use of recent technologies would only be beneficial for service sector employees but not for industries, which needs physical presence and outputs. Thirdly, voluntary self-isolation and quarantine of contacts are considered effective and acceptable. Also, when combined measures are in place, these can reduce the peak caseload and attack rate as well; however, there is an increased risk of intrahousehold transmission from index cases to contacts. It also added that those who are isolated and quarantined are likely to undergo distress due to fear and risk perceptions. Lastly, it reported that mobility restrictions are effective only if high travel restrictions are in place, and surprisingly, cancellations of mass events and gatherings have not proven to be effective during the influenza pandemic.