By Joseph Pedrajas
Although 9 out of 10 Filipinos said that they fear of being infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there are still those who do not strictly take various measures against it, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a survey conducted from May 4 to 10 among 4,010 respondents, SWS found that six percent of them admitted to be using face masks outside their houses only "sometimes" or "rarely."
The survey added that five percent of them also said that it was only "sometimes" or "rarely" that they wash their hands several times a day and 15 percent said that it was only "sometimes" or "rarely" that they observe social distancing.
The survey results came out on Monday, a day after it was revealed that a total of 87 percent of Filipinos said that they either "worried a great deal" or "somewhat worried" of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
On the other, the poll found out that the majority are still taking precautionary measures against COVID-19.
SWS said that 77 percent of the respondents are "always" wearing face masks when going outside their houses, 68 percent are washing their hands several times a day and 64 percent are observing social distancing.
Survey findings also show there are more Filipinos who always use face masks in areas under General Community Quarantine (GQ), at 78 percent, than those who do so in areas under ECQ, at 77 percent.
Those who always wash their hands are also slightly higher in GCQ areas, at 71 percent, than in ECQ areas at 66 percent, SWS said.
But those who always observe social distancing hardly vary in ECQ and GCQ areas, at 63 percent and 65 percent, it added.
The survey was conducted via phone or computer-assisted telephone interview, SWS said. The respondents were from different parts of the country, whose contact details were previously shared to the institution during face-to-face interviews.
It said that the sampling margin of error stands at ±2 percent for national percentage, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±2 percent for Balance Luzon, ±3 percent Visayas, and ±3 percent in Mindanao.