Awareness and response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the Arab population in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Arab Peninsula

Objectives: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) causes fatal symptoms especially in areas with poor medical care. This online survey planned to analyze the knowledge and apprehension about coronavirus among the Arab populations. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted from 15 May 2020 to 27 May 2020. The survey included a total of 443 Arab participants. Divided into four groups according to the age; under 20 years old (28 participants), 20-40 (359), 40-60 (49), and 7 participants were over 60. According to gender; male (318 participants) and female (125). Based on education level, participants were categorized as a secondary school (5 participants), high school (28), university graduated (327), and postgraduate (83). Results: Most of the participants showed a good adaptation for the precautions concerning isolation and quarantine. 299 participants stayed at home during the COVID-19 outbreak by taking a break from jobs or performing their jobs from home. 144 participants performed partial or full-time jobs from 20 to 60 groups of age. Most of the population were dependent on social media to receive the update about the virus. 141 participants said that they are not up-to-date enough about the COVID-19 related to the language barrier. Conclusion: The majority of the participants had heard about COVID-19 and were aware of the infection control measures. Most of the participants strictly adapted to quarantine during the outbreak. Further steps need to be taken to enhance the social media accounts and internet websites in the Arabic language which concern medical and educational content.