A random online survey was conducted by Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) to understand the impact of coronavirus disease -2019 (COVID-19) among the general public. The age of participants ranged from 21 years to 70 years. A total of 268 people participated in the online survey. Of them, the vast majority (193/72%) were from a city (Guwahati, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, etc). And, 59 (22%) and 16 (6%) of respondents were from smaller towns and villages, respectively.

The most common co-morbidity among survey participants was hypertension (38/14.4%) followed by diabetes (26/9.8%). It was seen that 76 (28.4%) survey participants were infected with COVID-19, and of them, 43 (56.5%) were infected in the year 2020 and 30 (39.4%) in 2021 (second wave). Strikingly, 3 (3.9%) of respondents were infected in both 2020 and 2021. Among the respondents who were infected with COVID-19, fever alone or in combination with body ache or cough (51/67.1%) was the most common presenting symptom followed by loss of taste or smell in 47 (61.8%) respondents.

Of all the COVD-19 patients, only one (1.3%) person required intensive care unit (ICU) admission and 11 (14.4%) required care in a hospital for their symptoms. The vast majority of respondents (60/78.9%) recovered in home isolation alone. Seven (9.2%) respondents were admitted to private hospitals. The cost of treatment in the private hospital ranged from rupees 30,000 to as high as 3-5 lakh. Among 20 (7.5%) of all the respondents, more than three family members were affected with COVID-19, and sadly, 92 (34.3%) respondents have lost a near and dear one due to COVID-19.

Among the online survey participants, 229 (85.4%) persons have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Among the vaccinated, 163 (60.8%) were residents of the city, 54 (20.1%) were from a town, and 12 (4.4%) of vaccinated respondents were from the village. Of all vaccinated,115 (50.2%) persons have received the single-dose and 114 (49.8%) have received both doses. Of the vaccinated, 20 (8.7%) have been infected with COVID-19 and only one person (0.7%) required hospitalization.

According to Dr. Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of BBCI, we need good public health messaging during a pandemic. From this survey, it was observed that 99 (36.9%) respondents faced difficulty in regular consultation and treatment of their pre-existing diseases. Of all the respondents, 177 (66.0%) felt that lockdown has resulted in psycho-social issues among children and elders at their homes. Furthermore, 135 (50.3%) respondents have faced financial hardship due to lockdown. From this survey and an earlier survey among health care workers, it is significant that the vaccine reduces the need for hospitalization and protects from severe disease, further informed Dr. Kataki.

Dr. Manigreeva Krishnatreya, Medical Officer of BBCI said there should be a balance between mitigation of risk for COVID-19 and loss of livelihoods during a pandemic. We have noted that a significant proportion of respondents have faced difficulty in the treatment of hypertension, cancer etc, during the pandemic. The lateral integration of health care is the need of the hour during the pandemic. It was seen from the survey that 60.7% of respondents who have had COVID-19 are absolutely fit now, further said Dr. Krishnatreya.