People’s Perception towards COVID-19 Delta Variant in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh has detected a newly mutated Delta variant that is getting more hazardous for the entire world. Since this variant is far more hazardous than the previous one, the purpose of this study is to determine people's reactions to this variant, how to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, and what factors can lead to government failures to control it in Bangladesh. Data were obtained from 417 participants using convenient sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were the methods of analysis employed. The results showed that in Bangladesh, persons aged 30 to 49 were more likely than others to be aware of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Since social media and newspapers are important sources of information, it was discovered that those who did not use social media or read newspapers had low perception of the new COVID-19 Delta variant. Furthermore, individuals who had a COVID-19 infection history together with their friends and family members had a greater perception of the COVID-19 Delta variant than those who did not. The results also showed that rural people in Bangladesh had low perception of the new COVID-19 Delta variant than the urban people. The study recommends that government should force everyone to wear masks and provide alternative income-generating activities for marginalized individuals in order to limit the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Moreover, government should create more awareness and intensify health education in order to restrict the spread of the new COVID-19 variant.