By Hamid Khan Wazir
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A significant number of students across the country showed their passion and enthusiasm to work as volunteers in the fight against COVID-19 that wrought havoc across the globe.
According to the survey conducted by the Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences (IUCPSS), almost 88.8% students were passionate to work as volunteers in the fight against COVID-19 while 11.2% were not willing to work as volunteers.
The largest network of Pakistani universities conducted an online survey regarding awareness about COVID-19 among students in which 1176 students participated across Pakistan. Among the participants, 55.4% were from urban and 44.6% were from rural areas.
To a question about the role of students during the crisis of this pandemic, 77.6% students showed their interest to work as volunteers by creating awareness campaign while 22.4% were willing to play their part by indulging them in charity work. Responding to the role of students societies beyond campuses in the fight against COVID-19, 47.4% students were of the view that student societies were playing their role to some extent, 32.5% responded to a great extent.
On the other hand, 20.1% found no role of student societies during this crisis. Responding to another question about the reliability of the information of COVID-19 being shared by the general public, 40.2% partially agreed about the reliability of the information, 35.1% students had a view that information shared by the general public was reliable and authentic, 12.9% strongly agreed about its reliability and authenticity while 11.7% had a doubt about the reliability of information about COVID-19.
Answering to the question over practicing social distancing and other precautionary measures suggested by authorities, almost 31.7% replied positively, while 46.2% had a view that to some extent people in their respective areas were taking this pandemic seriously.
Answering to the question over practicing social distancing and other precautionary measures suggested by authorities, almost 31.7% replied positively, while 46.2% had a view that to some extent people in their respective areas were taking this pandemic seriously.
On the other hand, 22.1% stated that people were not practicing any kind of social distance and precautionary measures. Responding to the primary source of information of COVID-19, almost 68.7% replied that social media was a primary source of information, 39.2% electronic media; 27.7% government awareness campaign; 24% family friends and community; 8.9% print media;11.8% social activities while 11.2% were getting information through student societies.
