Study of Preventive Measures against and Knowledge about the COVID-19 Pandemic : A Survey of Chinese Students at Osaka University

Originating in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the world in the short time since then, greatly aff ecting Japan as well. Being a popular destination for international study, Japan has enacted efforts concerning international students in response to outbreaks of COVID-19. In conditions that change unpredictably from one moment to the next, this study surveyed Chinese students residing in Japan who are studying at Osaka University about preventive measures against and knowledge about COVID-19. From June to September 2020, an online questionnaire was used to survey 162 Chinese students enrolled in Osaka University with the aims of gaining information about their knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of preventive measures against COVID-19 on their health and the safety of their lives. Of the survey respondents, 54.3% were women and 45.7% were men, with their ages being concentrated in their 20s (83.3%). The survey results showed a difference in the information about respondents’ knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic and the performance of COVID-19 preventive measures according to attributes of Chinese students. This enabled the discovery of targets requiring preferential enactment measures. Moreover, discussions to improve international students’ capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic are attempted, while comparing them with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection that have been implemented by the Japanese government and Osaka University in or before September 2020