Turkey vigilant in guarding against COVID-19: study

A study in Turkey on mask use during the coronavirus pandemic has found that most people are vigilant about protecting themselves and are taking extra precautionary measures.

A total of 2,553 people from 79 provinces took part in the online research study published Thursday, which focused on mask usage habits.

Nearly half of the participants said they use their masks only for a few hours and then change them, while four out of 10 people use the same mask all day long, according to the Mask Usage Habits Report by the Istanbul Technical University-based new generation online research service Adgager.

One out of three people using fabric masks wash them daily and never re-use them before washing.

The research also revealed that the most preferred type of mask is a surgical mask, with 73% of the respondents or three out of four people using one.

They were followed by fabric masks (15%), while the usage ratio of other types of masks was low, with 5% preferring washable nano masks, 4% N95 masks, 2% FFP3 masks and 1% N99 masks.

As the life of surgical masks is short, sales of packages containing 20, 30 or 50 items have increased along with the consumption ratio.

The report said the most popular option (58%) was 50-mask packages.

The first place consumers prefer to buy masks is at pharmacies (35%), followed by markets (30%.)

Around 67% of those wearing masks have common opinions about their protectiveness, with 27% of them saying they do not take off their masks regardless of what happens when they go out while 28% take their masks off while walking outdoors.

People take off their masks most often while “eating and/or drinking something,” the report said.

Nine out of 10 people wearing masks consider those who do not wear masks “incautious,” increasing the health concerns of other people as well as risking others’ lives.

Some 77% of the participants agreed that the current penalties and sanctions must be increased. The number of those who regard the precautions of other people around them and workplaces as insufficient whereas they take sufficient precautions was high.

The report shows that 55% of the participants regard the precautions they took as sufficient, while only 6% think that others take enough precautions.

Three out of 10 people do not trust people at work or around them much and are concerned that they do not take enough precautions. While some insist on normalization, others are concerned about the rising number of cases in the current situation.

Eight out of 10 people said their concerns continue due to the increasing number of cases. Some 84% of the participants anticipate that the number of cases will rise further, leading to a second wave.

Half of the participants noted that they will definitely get vaccinated when a vaccine that is believed to eradicate COVID-19 is found, according to the report.

Six out of 10 people anticipate that the pandemic will come to an end in a year or two.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara