SIMILARITY INDEX, INTERNET SOURCES, STUDENT PAPERS: THE POTENTIAL OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) TRANSMISSION IN MEDAN CITY, INDONESIA

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, mainly caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome, remains a global challenge. This study aimed to identify the potential of COVID-19 transmission in Medan City, Indonesia, by utilizing a quantitative descriptive design with a survey method based on questionnaire administration on Google Form. A total of 293 respondents were selected as a research sample through the accidental sampling technique. This study showed that the majority of the respondents (195, or 66.4%) traveled outside the city/country; 210 respondents (71.7%) used public transportation such as online and public transport; 54 respondents (18.4%) were in the area with an infected patient. This survey also includes the parameters of mask wearing, social distancing, avoiding hand contact, paying in cash, washing hands before or after touching an object, visiting outdoor activities, soaking the clothes after arriving home, and chronic disease history. This research concludes that positive confirmed cases in Medan city demonstrate a fluctuating trend in the infected COVID-19 cases from the respondents with frequent travel history.