Pattern of management and knowledge of COVID-19 among hospital pharmacists in a tertiary hospitals in Bayelsa state

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated pattern of management and knowledge of COVID-19 among hospital pharmacists in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Method: A random simple sampling techniques was employed with 136 questionnaires were distributed among the hospital pharmacists. Results: A total of 120 out of 136 questionnaires were retrieved from the participants cutting across all the pharmacists. Participants reported that they had adequate knowledge of COVID-19 signs and symptoms. The male participants were more. Those with age range of 36-45 years were most common. Participants most reported signs and symptoms of COVID-19 during the peak, last one month and in the last week were loss of taste, loss of appetite, and loss of smell. The majority of the participants reported adequate knowledge of COVID – 19, origin as China, and causative agent as a virus with incubation period from 3 -14 days, often treated with antibiotics. Participants revealed that cancer patients and those above 50 years were most affected. Also, participants had adequate knowledge of COVID-19 as contagious, worst in patients with weak immune system. Participants reported that they had adequate knowledge of COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Most reported were symptoms of fever, cough, and sore throat among the participants. Discussion: The majority of the participants reported adequate knowledge of COVID-19, means of transmission of COVID-19, side effect with COVID-19. Also, the clearly identify adequate knowledge means of COVID-19 transmission sign and symptom. There was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.085) on knowledge of COVID – 19 among the pharmacist’s population.