Analysis of COVID-19 Awareness Among Georgia Private High School Students

Abstract

Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the public on pertinent information regarding COVID-19 developments. However, individuals may also refer to other sources for information, potentially affecting their understanding of the illness. This study aimed to serve as a baseline reference for assessment of Georgia high school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs on COVID-19. A hypothesis was developed to ascertain three trends: which COVID-19-learning resources were most commonly used by students, how students’ knowledge of COVID-19 would change over time, and how their understanding varied by grade level. An online survey with primarily multiple-choice and check-all-that-apply questions was distributed with 157 private school and 14 public school student respondents, testing them on COVID-19 prevention, treatment, transmission, and symptoms. The hypothesis for this study is that students primarily use non-CDC-affiliated social media to learn about COVID-19. Secondly, the hypothesis states that increasing media coverage of COVID-19 results in a trend of greater student understanding throughout the survey release. The hypothesis’ final component is that older students are generally more knowledgeable about public health threats than their younger peers. Based on the survey results, grade level did not affect knowledge of COVID-19, and students’ main learning resources were online news outlets, family members, and television networks. Although their understanding decreased over time, the changes were statistically insignificant. Respondents remained relatively knowledgeable about COVID-19 and communicated significant confidence in their outbreak-response capabilities. Their primary misunderstandings were of a face mask’s purpose and the length of interaction needed for transmission.