<p>When the Big Shots Deviate: On the KAP of Religious Clerics Regarding Prevention of COVID-19 [Letter]</p>

Abstract

Dear editor We have read the paper by Asmelash et al 1 with great interest. In Pakistan, the religious pundits enjoy a huge following as well, coherent with this fact we would like to share our viewpoint towards the study. This study was conducted when COVID-19 was peaking around the world, which is during May and June. It is the right time to analyze the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of populations especially when morbidity and mortality were heightened. Moreover, it can inform decision-makers for the second wave for which large-scale lockdowns and curfew seem especially impossible for developing countries and prevention and control of the virus will largely rely on the KAP of populations. We suspect that due to the cross-sectional nature of this investigation, there lies a risk of social desirability bias from the side of the participants when they were assessed for their attitude and practices. Hence a longitudinal and task-based approach to assess these qualities could give more reliable results. This research included 260 married individuals as opposed to 150 single, widowed or separated individuals. Therefore, any responses from the married participants would be dominant over those of the other group's individuals. Due to this, we propose that a stratified random sampling method should be used in this regard to help in relating the responses in a correct balance. In Pakistan, religious leaders were seen actively taking part in the creation of awareness and instructing the public to follow the government's stay-at-home orders. 2 In the further battle against COVID-19 a strong coalition should be maintained between governments and other groups of people, especially in nations where they have large following, to smartly and effectively work towards prevention and control of the virus. The infodemic was likewise rampant in Pakistan. As in Ethiopia, the religious clergy believed that COVID-19 was the wrath of God, in Pakistan, the citizens took COVID-19 as mild flu, religious propaganda, governmental propaganda, a bioweapon or microchip to control humans and the influence of 5G mobile networks, etc. 3 The sound prevention and control efforts should also include adequate check and balance of these unattested beliefs and stereotypes.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices concerning COVID-19 Outbreaks in the General Population in Malang District, Indonesia

“…In addition, gaps in attitudes and practices were shown between widowed and married individuals. These findings may explain health behavior disparities between those groups, as in prior studies in Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Singapore, and Europe [ 3 , 24 , 27 , 30 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. However, single individuals were less likely to engage in frequent best practices than married individuals, which is not surprising given that most single individuals are young adults with less accurate knowledge and less positive attitudes regarding the pandemic [ 24 ].…”

Mediating Effects of Attitudes, Risk Perceptions, and Negative Emotions on Coping Behaviors

“…Recently, the KAP model has been applied in the field of medical care, especially in research on protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has achieved significant results (Zehra et al, 2020;Lee et al,2021;Qin et al, 2021). Such studies have explored elderly people's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 (Saadatjoo et al, 2021).…”

Indonesian Ulema Council Fatwa on Religious Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Investigation of Muslim Attitudes and Practices

“…In the current study, religious practices related to the early prevention of COVID-19 largely depend on attitudes. A positive attitude toward religious leaders' instruction leads to good spiritual practices for preventing and controlling the virus (Asmelash et al, 2020 ; Zehra et al, 2020 ).…”