The recording of the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria prompted the government to activate emergency communication strategies across the country. This study examines the awareness of the COVID-19 virus amongst rural dwellers and the importance of traditional media in health crisis communication amongst the residents of Ebonyi state. An adult sample size of 95 persons (32 male and 63 female) was assessed. The study adopts an in-depth interview as the research design. Data were generated using an interview guide and analysed thematically. The results show that rural dwellers are aware of the virus and the compliance level is high. There is a huge dependence on traditional media like town crier as the source of information amongst rural dwellers. The present study highlights the need to include rural dwellers in crisis communication planning and the integration of traditional media in future crisis communication planning.

中文翻译：

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向农村居民传播 COVID-19：重新审视传统媒体在危机传播中的作用

在尼日利亚记录的 COVID-19 指示病例促使政府在全国范围内启动紧急通信策略。本研究调查了农村居民对 COVID-19 病毒的认识，以及传统媒体在 Ebonyi 州居民之间的健康危机沟通中的重要性。评估了 95 人（32 名男性和 63 名女性）的成人样本量。本研究采用深度访谈作为研究设计。使用访谈指南生成数据并进行主题分析。结果表明，农村居民对病毒有意识，遵从率较高。农村居民非常依赖传统媒体（如城镇报刊员）作为信息来源。