Table 2 Result of the IRT analysis in the knowledge section (n = 200)

 i Allergies

−0.41

3.50

0.9

100.55

< 0.001

 ii Bacteria

−0.54

2.16

0.78

62.98

< 0.001

 iii Virus

−1.04

3.12

0.87

120.2

< 0.001

 i Air

−1.10

3.39

0.88

24.34

0.002

 ii Dust

−0.86

2.24

0.79

26.19

0.001

 iii Sharing towels with an infected person

−0.32

3.95

0.94

52.78

< 0.001

 iv Water

0.24

2.32

0.82

88.76

< 0.001

 v Shaking the hands of an infected person with a cough and/or cold

−0.16

1.90

0.75

52.42

< 0.001

 3 Flu-like illnesses are spread quickly

−1.17

1.41

0.64

101.32

< 0.001

 i Asthmatics

−0.87

2.83

0.86

43.63

< 0.001

 ii Diabetics

0.40

4.32

0.93

21.16

0.007

 iii People with arthritis

0.43

2.34

0.80

50.84

< 0.001

 iv Senior citizens aged 65 and older

−0.57

1.94

0.75

29.26

< 0.001

 v Smokers

−0.14

3.08

0.87

75.46

< 0.001

 vi Those in crowded places/among a lot of people

−1.13

1.83

0.73

49.71

< 0.001

 i Bronchitis

−0.14

2.93

0.91

126.49

< 0.001

 ii Difficulty in breathing

0.64

6.26

0.88

22.80

0.004

 iii Multi-organ failure

0.55

2.85

0.89

170.57

< 0.001

 iv Pneumonia

−0.27

2.76

0.90

91.12

< 0.001

 i Covering your nose with your hands

−0.67

1.75

0.92

71.99

< 0.001

 ii Ensuring a healthy diet

−1.05

2.29

0.50

38.14

< 0.001

 ii Receiving vaccinations

−0.80

2.26

0.85

66.51

< 0.001

 iv Washing your hands with hand sanitizers

−0.86

6.29

0.78

15.08

< 0.001

 v Wearing a face mask

−1.22

5.07

0.71

10.75

< 0.001

 i Being in crowded places

−1.03

6.11

0.97

11.82

< 0.001

 ii Being near people who are coughing

−1.26

4.83

0.96

20.75

0.008

 iii When I am sick

−0.91

4.33

0.94

49.03

< 0.001

8 A cloth facial mask is as effective as a 2-ply surgical facial mask

1.02

1.29

0.60

60.85

< 0.001

9 If I am not sick, the used face mask can be stored in a bag for later use

0.72

1.56

0.67

182.10

< 0.001