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Local Perceptions of COVID-19 in Pakistan's Sindh Province: "Political Game", Supernatural Test, or Western Conspiracy?
Ali, Inayat; Saddique, Salma; Ali, Shahbaz.
  • Ali I; Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria.
  • Saddique S; Department of Community Health Sciences, Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Ali S; Independent Researcher, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep ; : 1-6, 2021 Jul 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2249011
ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has received various distinct perspectives and responses at the local as well as global levels. The current study pays attention to local perspectives, which have appeared in the Sindh Province of Pakistan.

METHODS:

Given the constraints of the pandemic, and using convenience sampling, we conducted 10 online group discussions, 7 one-on-one interviews, and 30 cellphone discussions from a small town of Sindh Province. We made every effort to make our sampling inclusive in terms of decisive sociocultural factors gender, religion, level of formal education, and occupation/job. We obtained data from women, men, Muslims and non-Muslims, the formally educated and noneducated, government employees, and daily wage laborers. Moreover, to perform content analysis, we used social media such as WhatsApp and Facebook. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS We have found that some people consider COVID-19 a "political" game, "supernatural test" or "Western plot". The given perceptions then guide further actions either ignore or adopt the preventive measures or take supernatural preventive measures. Considering it as a test of God, Muslims perform prayers, while the Bagrri community who practice Hinduism are taking cow urine to deal with the virus. This study brings these perspectives to the center stage; yet, the results cannot be generalized across the country, or within the province. Moreover, the study situates these perspectives within the global and socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts and invites more in-depth studies to inquire why such perspectives emerge.

CONCLUSIONS:

We discuss different narratives concerning COVID-19 in a small town of Sindh Province. We maintain that documenting these various perspectives and analyzing their impacts on the preparedness programs is essential, yet understanding the causes behind the stated standpoints is equally essential, if not more so.
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Qualitative research Language: English Journal: Disaster Med Public Health Prep Journal subject: Public Health Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Dmp.2021.220

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Qualitative research Language: English Journal: Disaster Med Public Health Prep Journal subject: Public Health Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Dmp.2021.220