Post Covid-19 Hygienic Behavior and Public Perception in Zanzibar in Relation to Future Pandemic

Background: During the COVID-19 Pandemic, hygiene behavior significantly changed due to the implementation of the World Health Organization strategies intended to combat coronavirus transmission. The goal of this study is to assess the post-COVID-19 hygienic behaviors and public perception in Zanzibar.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Zanzibar town between March 28 and May 19, 2021. A convenience sampling method was applied to recruit interested participants. A structured questionnaire was used for the interview and a checklist for direct assessment. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.

Results: Among 299 enrolled respondents, residents were 78.9% and non-residents were 20.7%. 49.2% of the respondents were between 18 and 28 years old. 53.8% were males and 46.2% females. There was a significant difference in the source of COVID-19 information between residents and non-residents (p-value = 0.0000000000028) p<0.05. Television 61% and radio 34.7% were the main information source for residents as television 76.3% and social media 15% for non-residents. 84.3% of the residents and 58.7% of the non-residents expressed fear of the presence of COVID-19 cases in neighboring countries (p-value = 0.00000741) p<0.05. 59.9% of the residents and 75.4 % of the non-residents believed that Zanzibar was not safe from COVID-19, (p-value = 0.0694) p>0.05. Of 47.5% of respondents believed that the imposition of preventive measures was the main factor that prevented Zanzibar from being strongly hit by COVID-19.

Conclusion: There was positive behavior and perception during post-COVID-19. For sustainable modest hygienic practices, there is a need to shift from fear-driven hygienic behavioral changes to awareness-driven through the use of appropriate sources of information for community education and keep maintaining hand-washing practices at least at public institutions