CORONA VIRUS IN BENIN CITY

The study examined on the perception of mass media as tools for sensitizing the public about infectious pandemic: a case study of corona virus in Benin City, Nigeria. Survey method was adopted and the instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire. Using the Taro Yameni formula, 400 people were sampled from the population of 1,495,800 in Benin City being the capital of Edo state, these Statistic figures of 2016 population census, during the cause of this survey. 400 questionnaires were distributed through the city and all 342 were retrieved. Data collected was analyzed in tables and simple percentages. The media play an important role in the dissemination of information on the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan China in December2019, has rapidly spread to almost every region of the world. To prevent spread of the virus, civil societies and government agencies embarked on enlightenment campaigns for good hygiene and social distancing. However, it is important to measure whether the population is receiving information that calms it down, as well as whether such news are in accordance with the magnitude of the issue. This study assessed knowledge and perceptions about COVID-19 among the general public in Nigeria during the initial week of the pandemic lockdown in the country. The findings affirm that Nigerians are highly knowledgeable about COVID-19 and their premier sources of information about the pandemic is the social media. Covid -19 pandemic is one of the major public health concerns in the country. Using the mass media in creating the awareness through the media campaign of breast cancer has become imperative.