COVID-19 Preventive Practices among Bus Station Workers in Ethiopia.

Mebrahtu Eyasu,Yifru Berhan,Yoseph Worku,Berhan Ababaw

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-1417

Abstract

ABSTRACT.As of May 19, 2021, Ethiopia was among the five African countries most affected by COVID-19. A cross-sectional design was used to assess the level of knowledge, perceptions, and practices of bus station workers about COVID-19 between August 25 and September 17, 2020. Face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaires were used. To identify the factors associated with the dependent variables, simple and multiple binary logistic regression analyses were used. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. In this study, 427 workers from three bus stations participated. Approximately 84.5%, 84.8%, and 81.3% of the workers had good knowledge, positive perceptions, and good practices, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that workers with a monthly income of 3,001 to 4,000 birr were about four times more likely to have poor knowledge compared with higher income workers. Those workers with poor knowledge were 2.4 times, and security workers were 3.7 times, more likely to have poor practices compared with workers with good knowledge and drivers, respectively. In conclusion, workers used in security and those who had poor knowledge regarding COVID-19 failed to exhibit effective preventative practices against the virus.

Highlights

The human coronavirus first reared its ugly head more than five decades ago.[1]
Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that workers with a monthly income of 3,001 to 4,000 birr were about four times more likely to have poor knowledge compared with higher income workers
Multiple binary logistic regression analyses showed that workers with secondary education had a significant association with poor practices

Summary

Introduction

The human coronavirus first reared its ugly head more than five decades ago.[1] In the past, the virus emerged in the form of Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome.[2,3] The newly identified human coronavirus is named COVID-19, and this outbreak originated in Wuhan City, China, in late December 2019. COVID-19 has a high transmission rate with an unclear mechanism, but is spread primarily via respiratory droplets, aerosols, and, to a lesser degree, from contaminated objects.[6,7,8,9] Disease symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, myalgia, and dyspnea. Severe cases present as an acute respiratory distress syndrome-like picture, with septic shock, intractable metabolic acidosis, and coagulation dysfunction.[10,11] An occupation with a high COVID-19 risk of transmission is bus station workers, including bus drivers and cashiers.[12]

Methods

Results

Conclusion