Coronaphobia and its correlates in the Indian population: A cross-sectional study

Background: Excessive fear and anxiety response to coronavirus-related triggers has been termed coronaphobia. It may lead to various negative psychosocial consequences. Aim: The study was planned to gain insights into coronaphobia and its correlates in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the semi-urban population of Western Maharashtra. An online survey was conducted using Google Forms, comprising questions about sociodemographic information, coronavirus infection-related information, the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), and the coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS). Descriptive statistics were performed using data summarization, including percentages, mean, range, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were carried out with the help of the Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: A total of 536 people participated, of which 293 (54.66%) were females and 243 (45.34%) were males. The total mean score of FCV-19S was 17.41 ± 6.03, and CAS was 5.54 ± 4.71. Fear and anxiety response was significantly associated with female gender, lower monthly income of the family, and being worried about coronavirus infection. In contrast, it was negatively associated with tobacco and drug use. Multiple regression analysis showed that being worried about coronavirus infection positively predicted, while tobacco use negatively predicted fear response. Conclusion: The present study showed that the Indian population was suffering from moderate levels of fear and anxiety response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and specific population groups were at a higher risk of developing this phobic response.