Community responses during early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic: a cross-sectional study

Community responses are important for outbreak management during the early phase when preventive interventions are the major options. Therefore, this study aims to examine the behavioral responses of the community during the early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran. A cross-sectional online survey was proceeded after confirmed COVID-19 in Iran. The population of the study was 500 residents of Razavi Khorasan areas were randomly surveyed. The research tool was demographic and risk perception questionnaire and Anxiety was assessed using the 7-item GAD Scale. The data analyzed using the SPSS statistical version (V.20). The means of age participants was 31.9±11.9. The mean GAD-7 scores were 6.4±5.2 and 92.4% had moderate or severe anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥10). Many respondents reported their health status were very good or good (62.2 %; 311/500). About a quarter of them had respiratory symptoms in the past 14 days and experienced 20% of them travelled outside the Razavi Khorasan Province in the previous. Risk perception toward COVID-19 in the community of the Razavi Khorasan Province was moderate. Most participants are alert to disease progression. This study suggested timely behavioral assessment of the community is beneficial and effective to inform next intervention, and risk communication strategies in epidemic disease.