The imposition of protective health protocols in public spaces to curb the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has confronted the ritual of congregational prayers in mosques for Muslims. This study examines the adoption of protective behaviors in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak and the influence of religion on risk perception by comparing precautionary behaviors in public and in mosques.

Data were collected through an online survey of 327 Muslim men across the Aceh Province, Indonesia, from April 21, 2020, to May 2, 2020. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the paired t-test were employed to compare the uptake of protective behaviors in public and mosques.

The adoption of protective behaviors was higher in public rather than in mosques. It further revealed that the understanding of Islamic teachings during the pandemic has influenced perceived risk and the way Muslim men comply with the protective guidelines. Those who have complete, incomplete, or no compliance of precautionary behaviors have their own interpretation of Islamic teachings that inform their individual actions to manage the risk.

This study suggests the significance of religious views for developing public health preparedness during the current and future pandemics in Aceh and other Muslim majority regions.

Iran is facing a big challenge controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, and it is unclear to how individuals are engaging in preventive behaviors. This study aimed to investigate changes in preventive behaviors during the first 3 mo of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran.

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1477 adults aged 18 y and older in 31 provinces of Iran. Data were collected by an anonymous online questionnaire.

Overall, engagement in preventive behaviors was relatively acceptable, and more than 45% of subjects always carried out all preventive behaviors. Engaging in all preventive behaviors had a peak in the second month and obviously declined during third month. Engagement in some preventive behaviors, such as “wearing a face mask” and “keeping a safe distance from others,” was observed less than other behaviors. There was a statistically significant difference in the engagement in preventive behaviors by gender and occupation (P < 0.001).

Although engagement in preventive behaviors was relatively acceptable for the first 2 mo of the outbreak, it has declined gradually. This is a warning for public health decision makers. COVID-19 is still a crucial issue in Iran, and it is necessary that government decision be based on the fact that Iranian people must live with a coronavirus for months, with full caution and compliance toward all preventive care protocols.