Social Distancing Top Preventive Measure For COVID-19

Social distancing, frequent hand washing, use of sanitizers and home-cooked meals are among the top preventive measures being observed by Medlife customers to protect against the ongoing Coivd-19 pandemic. According to a randomised online survey of 2600 customers of Medlife, India’s largest e-Health platform, social distancing is a key measure adopted by nearly 89% of the survey’s respondents, followed by frequent hand washing and use of sanitizers. A large majority of respondents reported using sanitizers and masks more often over the last month while 87% reported washing their hands regularly.

Nearly half the respondents were concerned about access to groceries and transport, over a third were concerned about the ready availability of medicines.

“We decided to poll our customers to understand their health concerns and priorities during lockdown as well as to get a sense of the precautions they were taking. What the survey did tell us is that most of the respondents were taking the lockdown very seriously and understand the importance of isolating themselves during this period. This year when we celebrate World Health Day on April 7^th, we need to focus on community health as the key aspect to individual health. If anything, Coronavirus has brought home the harsh lesson that the health of the individual is inextricably linked to that of the community. The lockdown has also demonstrated that, when challenged, the community is willing to stand as one and do what it takes to fight back,” says Ananth Narayanan, Co-founder and CEO Medlife.

Among the behavioural changes during lockdown, a large number are opting for home-cooked food (55%) as a safety measure, increased frequency of house cleaning (56%) and practicing meditation (23%) for mental well-being. About a third of the respondents reported strengthening of their diet with immunity boosters in a bid to protect themselves against COVID-19.

While an overwhelming number (84%) believe that the governments are doing enough to contain the spread of the virus, nearly 85% of respondents believe there is excess information on COVID-19 in social media.