COVID-19 Caring Behaviors: A Cross-sectional Study in the East of Iran.

Background:Some recommendations and health protocols were presented to control COVID-19 after the outbreak, such as the use of face masks, observing social distancing, closure of schools, etc. Despite these protocols, we witnessed different peaks and variants of COVID-19 for more than two years. This study investigated some risky behaviors, such as not wearing face masks, violating social distancing, and attendance at crowded places. Methods: We used a checklist containing some demographic, caring behaviors, and survey questions. Data were collected from four universities in Iran. Patients with positive PCR results for COVID-19 were included in the study. The minimum sample size required for this study was estimated to be 407, which were selected from the universities by proportional allocation. Results: The use of face mask proportion was different between the upper and lower age groups of 50 years (P=0.005). Also, this proportion was different in the subgroups of educational level, job status, income, and living area. Conclusion: The space of most crowded places was confined and many patients did not use face masks and did not observe social distancing in these places. Hence, social distancing and face mask use can be considered the most important caring behaviors to deal with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]