COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Prevalence, KAP and Heterogeneous Shocks under ‘General Holiday’–An Exploratory Study Based on an Online Survey

This study is based on data generated online, which covered all socioeconomic groups and all districts of the country. It can be considered representative of the vast online population, and it is believed that the patterns exposed would find strong resonance in the wider population as well. The survey was conducted during the period of the ‘general holiday’ in Bangladesh, which is euphemistically a reference to lockdown. It estimates that 10 per cent of the population displayed COVID-19-type symptoms, and 1 per cent had co-morbidities. We also noted that urban residents, divorcees, and members belonging to large households faced greater risk, while higher incomes usually corresponded with reduced risk. Shocks to income were substantial, with nearly 50 per cent reporting income flows halted for younger age groups, while this was about a third for older groups. In terms of coping ability, this was seen to be weak. We also noted that there was considerable awareness of good practices like handwashing and social distancing. While ordinary people tried hard to fight back, their means were limited, indicating that for a poor country, a longer-term lockdown would be untenable.