Table 2.
Respondents’ exposure to COVID-19 misinformation (N=1049).
| Variables | Participants, n (%)a | Weighted valuesb, n (%)a | |
| Number of COVID-19 misinformation items | |||
|
|
0 | 321 (30.60) | 338 (32.19) |
|
|
1 | 279 (26.60) | 260 (24.74) |
|
|
2 | 205 (19.54) | 206 (19.63) |
|
|
≥3 items | 244 (23.26) | 246 (23.44) |
| COVID-19 misinformation itemsc | 728 (69.40) | 711 (67.78) | |
|
|
Masks can be sterilized and reused after steaming with hot water | 346 (47.53) | 354 (49.76) |
|
|
Masks can be reused after spraying alcohol on its surface | 345 (47.39) | 342 (48.14) |
|
|
Drinking tea can prevent infection | 231 (31.73) | 219 (30.78) |
|
|
Gargling can disinfect the respiratory tract to prevent infection | 150 (20.60) | 168 (23.55) |
|
|
Coronavirus is artificially developed | 172 (23.63) | 156 (21.88) |
|
|
Basking in the sun can prevent infection | 110 (15.11) | 109 (15.30) |
|
|
Gargling with salt can prevent infection | 104 (14.29) | 109 (15.29) |
|
|
Taking antibiotics can prevent or treat infection | 94 (12.91) | 102 (14.34) |
|
|
Flip the sides of a used mask to reuse it | 90 (12.36) | 90 (12.60) |
|
|
Drinking alcohol/smoking can prevent infection | 59 (8.10) | 70 (9.88) |
|
|
Only older adults can be infected | 25 (3.43) | 32 (4.46) |
|
|
A vaccine is available now | 15 (2.06) | 14 (1.99) |
aCalculated percentages were rounded off to one decimal place; accordingly, combined percentages can exceed 100%.
bData were weighted by sex and age distribution of the general population in the Seoul metropolitan area in Korea.