Differences in Awareness among Japanese Individuals of Infection Prevention Measures before and after the Spread of COVID-19 — Necessity of Patient and Public Education for Infection Prevention at Community Pharmacies and Drugstores —

Abstract

Summary: A survey was conducted to reveal the changes in awareness regarding infection prevention before and after COVID-19 infection. Hand washing habits were followed by 97.6% of respondents before the spread of COVID-19 and increased by 0.7% to 98.3% after (Hand washing with water + Hand washing with soap;13.0% + 85.3%). The habit of hand disinfection among respondents markedly increased from 52.7% before the spread of the virus to 81.0% after (p<0.01). And most respondents could not answer correctly regarding infection prevention for ‘parts of hand disinfected’ or ‘parts of hand washed’ or ‘duration of hand washing’, etc. In terms of education/training on infection prevention, particularly, hand washing and hand disinfection, in Japan, 71.3% ‘did not receive education/training’ on ‘hand washing’ and 82.3% ‘did not receive education/ training’ on ‘hand disinfection’. A total of 47.7% of the respondents wanted to receive education/training regarding the methods and effects of infection prevention from healthcare professionals. Of these, only 21.7% wanted to receive education/training from pharmacists. Pharmacist should show own roles by voluntarily utilizing own knowledge such as public health and contributing to the community and might need to provide patients or citizen with infection prevention education at community pharmacies and drugstores.