<?php
 
$dsn = "mysql:host=$host;dbname=$db;charset=$charset";
 
   $opt = [
        PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE            => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
        PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_NUM ,
        PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES   => false,
    ];
 
$pdo = new PDO($dsn, $user, $pass, $opt);
 
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT id FROM dbCountries WHERE name LIKE '%:country%' OR alias LIKE '%:country%' ');
$countrysId= $stmt->execute(array('country' => $first));
var_dump ($countrysId);

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