Face-Mask Ownership and Handling Patterns During the First Wave of Covid-19 Pan-demic in Ekiti State, Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Wearing of face-masks remains one of the most prominent non-pharmaceutical pre-ventive interventions against transmission of COVID-19 virus and other infectious diseases. In this study, we evaluated facemask ownership and handling patterns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ekiti State, located in southwestern Nigeria. Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey among residents above age 18, within three Local Government Areas (Ado-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, and Ikole-Ekiti) in the State. Five hundred fifty-three respondents consented to the study procedures and completed the close-ended question-naire shared via social media. Data obtained were entered into Microsoft Excel Software and sub-sequently analyzed in SPSS 20.0 software for basic descriptive statistics. The association between variables was also examined using chi-square tests and the significant level was set at 95%. Results: Findings showed an ownership rate of 98.1%. Over half of the respondents, 305(57.5%), wore face-mask regularly 305 (57.5%), while 170(32.1%) occasionally wore masks and 55 (10.4%) rarely wore masks. Furthermore, majority of the respondents 470 (90.2%) wore facemask appropriately to cover both nose and mouth. However, about one-third of the participants 123(29.5%) wore facemask under their nose, covering only their mouth. Majority of the participants 308 (60.0%) touch their face and mask intermittently, and only 291(56.0%) clean their hands after removing their masks. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for increased awareness on proper handling of face-masks to curtail transmission of COVID-19 virus, or other airborne infections..