A recent survey by Chatham-Kent Public Health is shedding some light on how residents feel about COVID-19.
A total of 540 Chatham-Kent residents participated in the telephone survey, which was completed between October 22 and November 2. Participants were selected at random and the survey was representative of Chatham-Kent’s population by gender, age and region.
The questions covered a variety of topics including the perceived risk and concerns related to COVID-19, opinions on COVID-19 public health measures as well as vaccination intention and beliefs.
"We’re fairly confident that if we were to survey all residents of Chatham-Kent, we would end up with the same results we found with this survey of 540 people, with minor differences," the health unit said in a release.
According to the survey results, released by the health unit on Wednesday, 55 per cent of respondents said that they are worried about getting infected with COVID-19 this year.
Fifty-four per cent of residents surveyed overall said they would 'definitely or probably' get the vaccine, 29 per cent said they were uncertain and 17 per cent indicated they would not get vaccinated against the virus.
"Among those who express concern, the efficacy of the vaccine and concerns about side effects top the list of reasons for their hesitancy," read the suvey report.
The survey indicated that women were "significantly" more likely to be hesitant towards the COVID-19 vaccine.
"This appears only related to the COVID-19 vaccination, as women are significantly more likely to have already gotten or are planning to get the flu shot, pointing to a disparity in attitudes towards influenza versus COVID-19 vaccine," read the report.
According to the results, those under the age of 65 also showed more hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccines as well as people with kids.
"Parents in Chatham-Kent also show both hesitancy and reluctance. Forty-one percent say they will definitely or probably get the COVID-19 vaccine but 29 per cent say they are unsure and 29 per cent say they will not get it," the report states. "This group is also more likely to say they will not get the flu shot this year. Hesitancy and reluctance to get the COVID-19 vaccine are driven by concerns about efficacy and safety and about side effects and anti-vaccine beliefs."
Although a large number of residents said they were confident that COVID-19 testing is available for those who need it, only 52 per cent of all respondents indicated that they would get tested right away if they began to experience mild COVID-19 symptoms. One in five said that they would not be able to self-isolate if they were feeling ill because of work or other responsibilities outside the home.
"The most likely reasons for not testing immediately are that the symptoms could be something other than COVID-19, or a feeling that it might be better to wait and see how symptoms develop."
According to survey results, it does appear that Chatham-Kent residents are following public health measures.
Ninety-two per cent of respondents said they adapted to the new measures and settled into new routines as a result of the pandemic, 89 per cent agreed that restrictions are necessary and that 75 per cent said that the people around them are complying with the measures as well. Meanwhile, 94 per cent of residents indicated that they are washing their hands regularly, 91 per cent make sure to wear a face-covering and 82 per cent said they social distance by keeping two metres apart.
However, one in five respondents said they believed that restrictive measures are doing more harm than good.
"There is still evidence of risk-taking behaviour among a minority group," read the report. "There is a portion of the population, roughly one in 10, that say they are always or often attending indoor places where it is difficult to wear a mask or social distance, are attending gatherings of any size, or are rarely/never limiting indoor social gatherings to the prescribed 10 people or less."
According to the results, residents between the ages of 18-23 are more likely to not be adhering to social public health restrictions and more likely to be attending indoor places where masking and social distancing is more difficult. Meanwhile, the health unit said that women see stronger uptake of handwashing, wearing a face covering, social distancing and reducing touching their face.
The findings from the survey will help the health unit to develop targeted messaging and health promotion strategies to promote public health measures.
