An alarming 82% of Pakistanis continue to believe that if they perform wuzu/ablution five times a day, they will remain protected from COVID.
This statistic was revealed in a poll published by research company IPSOS on Thursday, analyzing what myths the public continues to believe about the Coronavirus crisis.
Religious beliefs are seen as a major determinant in our approaches towards the virus:
So, 67% of Pakistanis believe that jamaat (congregation) cannot infect anyone, as Allah has control over all viruses. Nearly half of the people (48%) polled believe that since shaking hands is Sunnah, it cannot infect anyone with Covid.
The ablution argument has also ventured into strange dimensions: 2 in 5 people believe that women who breastfeed should be in wuzu all the time to avoid being exposed to the virus, while 1 in 4 believe that women having their period are more prone to COVID-19 as they cannot perform their ablutions.
It is clear that further education is needed to dispel these myths, which may put the lives of people in danger.
The method
IPSOS polled 1,000 people from April 4 to 7. They were from all the provinces and territories: Punjab, 57%, Sindh, 22%, Balochistan, 6%, KP, 10% and AJK, 5%.
They were many different age groups from teenagers to people over 50 years and 73% were men and 27% were women.
The majority of people were interviewed from cities and the biggest section was dedicated to the poorest people.
