GENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT COVID-19 IN PAKISTANI FEMALES VISITING THE GYNAECOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

Objective: To gain insight about the perception of female subjects on COVID-19. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Gynaecology department of Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Mar to Jun 2020. Methodology: The data obtained from a questionnaire filled by a total of 205 female participants with mean age of 31.84 ± 8.52 years, visiting the Gynaecology outdoor patient department was used. The data was analyzed and descriptive analysis was made in percentages. Results: Electronic media (TV/Radio) was the main source of information about COVID-19 for 170 (83%) of the participants. Most of the participants identified that the main symptoms of COVID were flu 115 (56%), cough 104 (51%) and fever 109 (53%). About the protective and hygienic measures, 125 (61%) chose hand washing for twenty seconds while 116 (57%) of the participants chose wearing masks and 87 (42%) opted for maintaining the distance from an infected individual. One hundred (49%) of the total participants believed that the transmission of the virus to infants takes place via breast milk of nursing females while 147 (72%) of the females responded negatively for the breastfeeding to be responsible for the transmission of the virus. One hundred and thirty females (73%) believed that this disease was completely curable while 55 (27%) of females responded that a complete cure was not possible. Conclusion: Most of the females have generally satisfactory information about the signs and symptoms of the novel virus and the commonly employed precautions against the disease.