SURVEY EVALUATION OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA USING GOOGLE TRENDS DATA

Abstract

The use of Google Trends data to evaluate the prevention against the spread of COVID-19 in some
countries had been documented in some literatures. However, there was need to evaluate the
preventive interest of the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria using similar method. Google Trends
Relative Search Volume (TRSV) data were mined for six periods in Nigeria ranging between January
30 (the day World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as Public Health Emergency of
International Concern (PHEIC) and July 17, 2020 (as at the time of this survey). TRSV data were
mined on the four non-pharmaceutical preventive measures (face mask, social distancing, hand
washing and hand sanitizer) and the four major symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough, tiredness
and difficulty in breathing). The Nigeria COVID-19 daily infected cases were also collected from the
World Health Organization (WHO) dashboard. Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, multiple
linear regression model and post-hoc test were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that
Nigerians had low usage interest of the use of these four non-pharmaceutical preventive methods. It
was observed that Nigerians significantly preferred the term coronavirus over COVID-19 in any
public sensitization program. Nigerians had significant interest in fever but insignificant interest in
dry cough, tiredness and difficulty in breathing, as the symptoms of COVID-19. This insignificant
interest was suspected to reduce Nigerians interest in visiting the hospital when they have sickness
with any of these three symptoms. Strategic COVID-19 sensitization programs and question, based
on Nigerians search interest, were recommended to increase the public interest in the prevention of the
spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.