Assessment of self-medication practices in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Togo

Arnold J Sadio,Alexandra M Bitty-Anderson,Claudia P Denadou,Didier K Ekouevi,Innocent K Kpeto,Iris M Gomez,Mounerou Salou,Akila W Bakoubayi,Fifonsi A Gbeasor-Komlanvi,Rodion Y Konu,Joël Anani,Harold R Kouanfack,Martin K Tchankoni

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-10145-1

Abstract

BackgroundTo date, there is no effective treatment for COVID-19, which is a pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. In Togo, where four in five people practice self-medication, the absence of a cure for COVID-19 and the constant progression of the disease requires an assessment of self-medication patterns in the context of the pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 and its associated factors in Lomé, Togo.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Lomé, the capital city of Togo, from April 23rd to May 8th, 2020, with a sample of participants from five sectors: the healthcare, air transport, police, road transport and informal sectors. The participants were invited to provide information about their self-medication practices to prevent COVID-19 in the 2 weeks preceding the survey.ResultsA total of 955 participants (71.6% men) with a median age of 36 (IQR 32–43) were included. Approximately 22.1% were in the air transport sector, 20.5% were in the police sector, and 38.7% were in the health sector. The overall prevalence of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 was 34.2% (95% CI: 31.2–37.3%). The most commonly used products were vitamin C (27.6%) and traditional medicine (10.2%). Only 2.0% of participants reported using chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine. Female sex (aOR=1.90; p< 0.001), work in the health sector (aOR=1.89; p= 0.001), secondary education level (aOR= 2.28; p= 0.043) and university education level (aOR= 5.11; p< 0.001) were associated with self-medication.ConclusionOne-third of the individuals in high-risk populations in Lomé practiced self-medication. Intensifying awareness campaigns is crucial to fight misinformation about alleged COVID-19 prevention products on social media.

Highlights

To date, there is no effective treatment for COVID-19, which is a pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were evaluated for prophylaxis against COVID-19 in clinical trials among close contacts of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and health care workers
The prevalence of selfmedication found in our study is probably related to i) the long delay in finding an appropriate treatment for COVID-19 based on an adequately powered randomized trial [27]; ii) the influence of social media that proposes any type of product to prevent or treat COVID-19 [9]; iii) the influence of leaders who have claimed the efficacy of certain products or who claim to have discovered traditional remedies [28, 29]; Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics according to sector of activity, Lomé, Togo

Summary

Introduction

There is no effective treatment for COVID-19, which is a pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. On January 30th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the advent in China of a disease called COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus, SARSCoV-2, and its rapid spread [1]. Several studies have evaluated the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine-based treatment with or without azithromycin [3,4,5]. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were evaluated for prophylaxis against COVID-19 in clinical trials among close contacts of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 and health care workers. The preclinical results are promising, there is currently no evidence of the effectiveness of chloroquine/ hydroxychloroquine in the prevention of COVID-19 [6]

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