Preventive behaviors by the level of perceived infection sensitivity during the Korea outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2015

Lee, Soon Young; Yang, Hee Jeong; Kim, Gawon; Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Choi, Bo Youl

Data were collected between September and November 2015, which was two to four months from July 6, 2015, the day of the onset of the infection in the last MERS patient. The nine areas in Gyeonggi-do were selected according to their contiguity to the outbreak area, and a self-administered questionnaire was employed. Pyeongtaek and Songtan of Pyeongtaek-si where the infected people were concentrated due to the presence of Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital (where the first infected patient was found) were classified to district 1, and Hwaseong-si, Gurisi, and Namyangju-si, where secondary and tertiary infections occurred resulting in the quarantine of many people, were grouped to district 2. Other areas in Gyeonggi-do, including Yeongtong of Suwon, Bundang of Seongnam-si, Gwangju-si, and Hanamsi were classified to district 3.