Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and social awareness regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection in the kyrgyz population in the post-pandemic period

Three years after the global COVID-19 epidemic, social media’s extensive dissemination of information has greatly raised public awareness of the virus’s symptoms, propagation, and severity. The majority of Kyrgyz people are aware of the main features of COVID-19, including its incubation time, typical symptoms, and person-to-person transmission. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey study of knowledge and practices regarding COVID-19 among the general population was conducted in Bishkek the capital city of Kyrgyzstan. We enrolled 160 (100%) Kyrgyz national participants from different region of Bishkek. 98% of the participants were aware of COVID-19 (mostly from news and social media, 39% and 38%, respectively). 92% acknowledged the 2–14 day symptom onset period, 96% recognized symptoms, and 94% realized it passes from person to person. Only 67% of respondents were aware of preventative techniques, and 28% misinterpreted the incubation time, while 79% acknowledging its lethality. The study found that participants had a high level of knowledge about symptoms (96%) and transmission (94%). Although the majority acknowledged preventive practices such as handwashing (91%) and travel disclosure (84%), there were still gaps in diagnostic knowledge (only 61% were aware of RT-PCR testing). Interestingly, 79% recognized the lethality of COVID-19, and 67% knew how to prevent it. Even with widespread knowledge, there is still a need for focused teaching on diagnosis and certain preventative techniques. Still gaps in some areas, such as diagnostic knowledge, the results demonstrate that people generally have a strong understanding of COVID-19 preventative techniques and related behaviors.