The Effects of the Epidemic of the Corona Virus-2019 : Toward the New-Normal Community in Lop Buri Province

Abstract

          This mix methods research study aims to investigate: 1) the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic on people in Lop Buri province and 2) the adjustments of the community toward the New-Normal ways. The samples were 397 people living in Lop Buri. They were sampled using the stratified sampling. The questionnaire was used to collect the data, and were analyzed using the descriptive statistic which were frequency and percentage. The eleven important informants from the area were also interviewed.
          The results suggested that there were five effects from the Corona Virus-19 epidemic included: 1) the effects on economy that the samples had lesser incomes; 2) for physical and mental health, the samples had the difficulties on mental conditions due to their anxieties on the epidemic; 3) for society and environment issue, the samples had lesser gathering events, and environment was lesser interrupted; 4) on receiving news and the use of technology, the samples paid more attentions on news, and learned how to use new technology in communication more than before and 5) for an education issue, it was changed into the online classes, and the samples had to spend more money on the communication equipment. For the adjustments of the people toward the New-Normal community, there were five aspects which were: 1) the adjustment on economy that the samples tried to gain more money by doing other side-jobs, and cut off other expenses; 2) on the physical and mental health issue, the samples tended to behave accordingly to the rules and policies announced from the government. They tended to be more careful when they were with others; 3) on the society and environment issue, there were lesser gathering events, and the samples spend more times at home. They also changed their shopping habits into the online shopping; 4) on the technology issue, most of the samples regularly used the new technology in communication via the online applications and 5) on education issue, the learning changed into the online system.