Abstract
Coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging contagious infectious disease. It is pandemic and has affected more than 21 million people and resulted in more than 750,000 deaths worldwide (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries; 14/08/20). Our research group initiated a study to ascertain the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Jordanians toward COVID-19 prior to any initial case report in Jordan. This project was underway when the first Jordanian case was reported. We extended our study to identify how case reporting would alter public KAP towards COVID-19. This cross-sectional study randomly selected and recruited 2104 Jordanian adults. A four-section questionnaire was devised to address the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects and their KAP toward COVID-19. The mean knowledge score for the study population was 15.9 ± 2.2 (out of the 20 knowledge questions), with 60.9% of the participants having good knowledge about COVID-19. Participants’ practices to prevent transmission of COVID-19 were adequate in more than 60% of participants. Most participants had positive attitudes regarding their role in preventing COVID-19 and many of the participants’ attitudes and practices changed to more appropriate ones after reporting the first case of COVID-19 in Jordan. The percentage of participants who trust the government in confronting COVID-19 increased significantly (p value < 0.001). However, one alarming and unexpected finding was that the prevention practice score of participants working in the medical field was similar to those from the general population. This may necessitate stricter training and guidelines for this group who will be in the frontline in combating the disease. Impact of this study: The data generated from this study shows that when cases of disease were reported, the public’s attitudes and practices improved in many aspects, and that confidence in the government to contain the disease was boosted. We believe that this study is important in allowing other, international governments to develop an understanding of public KAP during pandemic disease outbreaks.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious infectious disease caused by a novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV, known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) [1, 2]
It has been indicated that COVID-19 is transmitted directly by close contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets (>5–10 μm) and through touching the surfaces contaminated with infected droplets [9]
The total number of participants recruited in the study was 2104. 832 participants were recruited before case reporting and 1272 participants were recruited after case reporting
Summary
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious infectious disease caused by a novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV, known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) [1, 2]. The SARS-CoV-2 primarily has been shown to attack the human respiratory system, causing symptoms ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe damage to the respiratory system (and sometimes other organs), and death [3] People and those with chronic medical conditions are the most vulnerable to the complications of COVID-19 [2, 4]. It has been indicated that COVID-19 is transmitted directly by close contact (within 1 meter) with an infected person through respiratory droplets (>5–10 μm) and through touching the surfaces contaminated with infected droplets [9] This is reflected in the WHO recommendations for viral transmission, which include self-hygiene, physical distancing of at least 1 meter from infected patients, avoiding crowded places, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, intensive and regular washing of hands with alcohol based hand rub or with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, maintaining a good ventilation for homes and indoor settings and the appropriate use of masks in public places and public transport [10]
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