Trust, attitudes, information: A study on the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic in 12 Brazilian cities

Abstract

In this study, the perception of Brazilians regarding COVID-19 in 12 cities in the country was analyzed. Issues about the severity and dangers of the disease, sources of information and reliability, checking information, attitudes, precautions, and priorities for coping and trusting relationships in science were addressed. This study was carried out in the context of broader research on how Brazilians perceive the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). The survey was applied between May 18 and June 10, 2020, with 1,643 residents over 16 years of age in Brazilian cities where Fiocruz has a technical unit or office. The results reveal that the majority of the interviewees appreciate the seriousness of the pandemic, the importance of being properly informed, considers the measures indicated by health authorities important and trusts scientists and scientific institutions as sources of information. With the sense of urgency and experience of uncertainties about the present and the future, the need for strengthening of trust in institutions is present.