Page 8 - MJHP MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH PROMOTION Volume 2, 2020

MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH PROMOTION Volume 2, 2020

ABSTRACT

To break the COVID-19 infection chain, the new norm has become a societal
culture and custom. Thus, this study was done to investigate the public’s perception
and acceptability of the new COVID-19 guideline (SOP) in the state of Pahang,
Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the public’s perception and
acceptance of the new guideline in Pahang State.The acceptance aspects of the
society that is being viewed are practice 3W (Wash, Wear and Warn) and avoid
3C areas (crowded places, confined spaces and close conservation). A cross-
sectional online survey of 2,213 respondents in Pahang was conducted between
28 April 2020 until 12 May 2020 using Google Form within the Movement
th
th
Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). There
were three (3) sections in the survey instruments; respondent’s demographic (5
items), perception (3 items), and acceptance in terms of practices 3W (12 items)
and avoid 3C (5 items). The findings of this study had found that majority of
the society agreed to practice the new norm in their daily life (95.34%) and
agreed to oblige the new norm (99.63%). Majority of the society have shown
high acceptance to oblige the 1 metre social distancing (99.45%), 99.27% have
not organized mass gathering, 99.23% avoid confined space areas, stay at home
and only go out for essential reasons (98.92%), frequent hand washing using
soaps and water (98.60%), 98.41% agreed to practice the correct coughing
and sneezing ethics, 97.65% seeking immediate treatment for any symptoms
and 96.70% use face mask. In conclusion, majority of the Pahang state society
has positive perception and high acceptance on the new norm in the efforts of
breaking COVID-19 infection chain.

Keywords: Acceptance, Avoid 3C, COVID-19 infection chain, New norm,
Perception, Practice 3W

1. PENGENALAN
Dunia dikejutkan dengan penyakit coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pada
penghujung tahun 2019. Penyakit ini bermula di Wuhan, China. Penyakit
COVID-19 boleh berjangkit dan tersebar dalam waktu yang singkat
serta menyebabkan kematian jika langkah pencegahan dan rawatan awal
tidak dilakukan dengan segera. Keseriusan jangkitan penyakit ini telah
menyebabkan pemimpin-pemimpin negara mengambil langkah tegas dan
segera bagi mengekang jaringan jangkitan penyakit ini. Malaysia tidak

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