Parental Perceptions of COVID-19 Pandemic: Adherence to Laid Down Containment Measures

Abstract

<i>Objectives</i>: To ascertain, the perceptions of caregivers of children on covid-19 containment measures, the need for adherence to the measures to understand the reasons for poor compliance. <i>Design</i>: Qualitative prospective cross sectional survey of representative sub strata of the community’s population. Analysis according to these themes was conducted using standard Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta Georgia package called CDC EZ TEXT. <i>Setting</i>: The Focus Group discussions (FGDs) and the key informant (KIIs) interviews were held in the hospital at the respective units of the Pediatrics department at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Asaba. The FGDs and KIIs examined fifteen thematic areas. These focused on Knowledge of the cause of COVID-19, method of spread, implications of observance of the government imposed lockdown and other measures of disease containment. <i>Participants</i>: Consecutively recruited caregivers of children admitted to the various units of the Pediatrics department at the Federal Medical Center. <i>Results</i>: We consecutively recruited 61 consenting participants in FMC: 50 participants for the focused group discussion (FGD) and 11 for key informant interview (KII). They had fair knowledge of the causative organism of this pandemic, its method of spread and the implications of the disease containment measures were fully understood. Rather, the interviewees expressed their difficulties and frustrations in maintaining the rigors of application of these measures but would that government should expedite action towards the discovery of Protective vaccines because of the effect these measures had on their economic means of livelihoods. <i>Conclusion</i>: There is low personal and community engagement in implementation of containment measures. Further efforts should target community engagement.