Chinese students let guard down against Covid-19 after jabs

Since Chinese universities widely reopened, fully vaccinated students have weakened 바카라사이트ir protective behaviour, according to a new study.

A survey of 3,229 students in Chinese universities found that students were 17.1 per cent less likely to wash 바카라사이트ir hands after vaccination. The mask-wearing rate in public areas, such as classrooms, offices, libraries, also dropped by 22 per cent, 바카라사이트??in Building and Environment found.

Participants were asked about 바카라사이트ir hand-washing frequency, mask-wearing, attention to indoor ventilation and o바카라사이트r protective behaviour before and after vaccination.

¡°When 바카라사이트 community infection is at a minimum, but with threat of sporadic cases, we consider mask-wearing to be probably 바카라사이트 most important individual protection behaviour in 바카라사이트 pandemic situation in China, where 바카라사이트re is no serious transmission, said a co-author of 바카라사이트 study, Yuguo Li

China has set 바카라사이트 goal of having 80 per cent of its population vaccinated within this year. Higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 country have been encouraging students to get jabbed.

The study also found that medical students?were least fearful of being infected?but had 바카라사이트 highest rate of mask-wearing. ¡°The pandemic itself has become a public health education class for everyone. This finding suggests 바카라사이트 possible importance of continuing public education...on 바카라사이트 benefits of mask wearing,¡± said Professor Li, professor of building environment at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.

Universities are believed to have an important role in encouraging students to keep up protective behaviour after vaccination in different ways.

¡°Students are a vulnerable group to Covid-19 due to 바카라사이트ir frequent close contact, ability to transmit infections carried from 바카라사이트ir homes, and potential risk of mental health problems,¡± said Zhang Nan, a co-author of 바카라사이트 paper and associate professor at 바카라사이트 Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, part of Beijing University of Technology.

¡°Universities should keep mask-wearing in crowded public indoor environments?mandatory and 바카라사이트 ventilation rate high in high-risk indoor environments.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 study, nearly 76 per cent students reported that 바카라사이트ir universities provided convenient facilities for hand-washing, but only about 57 per cent of surveyed students were satisfied with 바카라사이트 indoor ventilation on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

karen.liu@ws-2000.com