Abstract
ABSTRACT.Drug shops are the first point of care for most community members in low-resource countries. Because of symptomatic similarities with common illnesses such as malaria, probable coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases may seek care at drug shops, where the knowledge and skills required to handle it may be lacking, thereby fostering community spread of the disease. This single-arm study provided an intervention to improve COVID-19-related knowledge, attitude, and practices of patent medicine vendors (PMVs) in 97 participating drug shops selected through cluster sampling in Owerri, southeastern Nigeria. The intervention involved a drug shop sensitization using information, education, and communication material, as well as training on the use of a risk assessment checklist to identify probable COVID-19 cases and to take appropriate action. Data were collected to determine the effect of this intervention using a pre-tested questionnaire and practice observation checklist, first at baseline and then 3 months post-intervention. Data analysis involved exploratory analysis and the t-test to determine pre- and post-intervention mean score differences at the 5% α level. There was post-intervention knowledge improvement on the COVID-19 causative pathogen (98.1% post-intervention versus 61.9% pre-intervention) and disease transmissibility from person to person (95.9% post-intervention versus 81.4% pre-intervention) among other knowledge domains. There was significant post-intervention improvement for positive attitude, with a mean gain score of 2.8 ± 1.7 (t = 4.4, P = 0.005), and preventive practices, with a mean gain score of 6.0 ± 4.7 (t = 4.1, P = 0.007). Engaging patent medicine vendors in the pandemic response plans through targeted interventions such as drug shop intervention could prove vital in the fight against COVID-19.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which spreads from person-to-person mainly through contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person.[1,2] People infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic or present with flu-like symptoms such as cold, sore throat, headache, cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pneumonia
Engaging patent medicine vendors in the pandemic response plans through targeted interventions such as drug shop intervention could prove vital in the fight against COVID-19
A total of 97 drug shops with the respective patent medicine vendors (PMVs) were involved in this study
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which spreads from person-to-person mainly through contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person.[1,2] People infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic or present with flu-like symptoms such as cold, sore throat, headache, cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pneumonia. According to the WHO, one of the core strategic responses to mitigating the effects of the pandemic is risk communication and community engagement.[8] Already there have been several rumors and misconceptions in Nigeria that COVID-19 is a “white man’s” disease and does not affect black people, or people who have never been abroad.[9] This kind of orientation can disrupt the implementation of interventions and adoption of safety guidelines, and may aid in fostering the spread of infection
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