The communication of COVID-19 health risks, from the perspective of the population of Arequipa in 2021

Abstract

In health risk situations, communication media play an increasingly important role. This became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, as populations looked to the media to remain informed and updated. This study aims to evaluate the communication of COVID-19 health risks, from the point of view of the population of the Arequipa region in Peru during 2021. We carried out a basic study with a descriptive scope and a non-experimental design. The region has a population of 1,316,000. Following a simple random sampling, we surveyed 384 inhabitants. We found that most communications sent out by Peru’s public institutions had failed to inspire confidence in the local population. They perceived a lack of credibility, timeliness, and transparency. To make matters worse, some of these messages even came across as humorous, with double entendres that did not help people avoid contagion. Communication media and public institutions evidently did not consider the importance of listening to the population and appropriately planning their actions. This has led to populations not being properly cared for and an overall negative perception of health risk communications during the pandemic.