90% of Saudis abide by COVID-19 precautions: Study
Nearly 40% never left home during lockdown, 80% aware of social distancing
Abu Dhabi: A Saudi University of Hail study revealed 90 per cent of people adhered to the precautionary measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, local media reported.
The main researcher of the study, Dr. Abdul Rahman Salih Bazid, assistant professor in the medical laboratory department, said the study concluded the pandemic will be contained in the Kingdom in the near future, given the efforts of the Ministry of Health, which resulted in a decrease in infections.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday recorded 180 new COVID-19 infections and 11 deaths, taking the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 360,335 and deaths to 6,080.
According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health, a further 199 new recoveries were registered over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of people recovered from the virus to 351,192, with the recovery rate climbing to 97.45 per cent.
The active cases have now touched 3,063, out of which 463 are critical and under intensive care.
The study, in which the Saudi universities of Hail and Taif participated, stressed that about 38 per cent of citizens never left the house during lockdown, and confirmed that 80 per cent of the study participants are aware of the importance of staying at home and social distancing as key factors in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
The study focused on measuring many indicators that achieved these results, including wearing masks and frequently washing hands. It also made clear that the Ministry of Health website is the main source for obtaining information related to the pandemic, as the study confirmed that this indicates the high awareness of the Saudi society, of the procedures and guidelines in facing the pandemic, and the lack of devotion to rumors.