within the selected clusters (using a simple random sample protocol) to participate in the baseline survey.

The second component of the L2T survey was a monthly household panel conducted over the phone, with a randomly selected subset of households that participated in the baseline. Selection was stratified such that a fixed number of households were selected to participate in each cluster included in the baseline survey. This approach ensured that the geographic spread of participants remained as dispersed as in the baseline survey and minimized the intra-cluster correlation of respondent characteristics to the best extent possible. The target sample size over the relevant period in 2020 was 1,200 households per month. The sample weights for households were adjusted to reflect the subsample design conducted using the baseline interviews and updated monthly to account for (modest) rates of attrition.<sup>9</sup> The panel component of the L2T survey largely focuses on dimensions of well-being that have the potential to fluctuate over time, including (i) migration and remittances, (ii) jobs and income, (iii) deprivations and subjective well-being, and (iv) utilities and services. During the pandemic, the survey was updated with a new module about the well-being of the population, including indicators on the public’s understanding of preventive and risk-minimization measures related to COVID-19. Several questions from the COVD-19 focused module are of particular interest in this study. These include the questions fully described in Appendix C.

Table 2 provides a summary of interviews completed and risk reducing behaviors reported. A total of 10,963 interviews including the COVID-19 specific module were completed between April 2020 and January 2021. On average, households reported a total of 5.9 of the 9 responses available. As official endorsement of the module was received late in April 2020, only 219 interviews including those questions could be completed in April. Thereafter, the sample reached was generally slightly below the monthly target of 1,200 interviews per month. Nearly all respondents reported changing at least some routines to reduce the risk of COVID-19 throughout the crisis. About 98 percent report increasing handwashing, and a similarly high share (95 percent) report mask use. It is important to note that for these behaviors, very high rates of reporting reduce the scope for potential measured effects, as they are both already near the maximum potential value.

It is important to note that with these and other indicators, the underlying survey questions measure if the household did these _at all_ , but not whether they are intensely or consistently applied. Also, responses to such survey questions could be affected by social desirability bias, potentially resulting in a higher prevalence of reported behaviors than are in fact practiced. This arises when respondents in a survey feel compelled to provide “the right” or expected answer to a question. However, it is unlikely that these concerns affect the main results of the assessment described in later sections. The results rely on comparing changes in reported behavior among people who received SMS messages at the time of their interview (or who otherwise rely on those messages), and those who did not. As

> 9 For more detail, please see the technical note on the L2T survey, available here.

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