Impact of sanitary restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of the Sri Lankan population.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a relatively new disease in Sri Lanka and across the world. It has had a significant impact on all aspects of human life, contributing to a decline in public health. Due to an increasing number of reported and suspected cases, the quality of life in many communities has deteriorated. This study aimed to determine the public perception regarding COVID-19 prevention and work-life balance during the COVID 19 pandemic period in Sri Lanka. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It is a descriptive cross-sectional study. A cross-sectional online survey of 648 Sri Lankan citizens was conducted from the 30th of April 2020 to the 17th of January 2021. Participants were identified through the snowball sampling method. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection which consisted of details of demographic characteristics, COVID-19 prevention measures, and work-life balance during the curfew period. Descriptive statistics were employed in the data analysis. RESULTS: Regarding COVID-19 prevention, 94% of the participants perceived that COVID-19 is highly contagious, and 93% believed that there is no proper established treatment plan for COVID 19. The majority of the participants rated self-quarantine (98.9%) and washing hands frequently (81.9%) as an effective measure for preventing COVID- 19. 96.8% of participants accepted to cooperate with self-quarantine if they were found to have fever and cough. The social stigma was reported as a major constrain for expressing travel history. In the aspect of work-life balance, the majority of the participants were economically unstable (53.2%) and spending time happily with their families (94.8%) during the COVID-19 curfew (lockdown) period. 95.4% of the participants have not broken any laws (laws related to curfew/ quarantine) during the COVID-19 epidemic in Sri Lanka. The monotone of activities was identified as a major cause for increasing stress during the COVID-19 lockdown period. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that Sri Lankans who participated in the survey have an acceptable level of awareness in COVID-19 prevention measures, and that monotony of sedentary life was the leading cause of stress throughout the lockdown period.