COVID-19 Prevention Practices Research Articles

Health care workers intention to accept COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors in southwestern Ethiopia, 2021.

Health care workers are the most affected part of the world population due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries prioritize vaccinating health workers against COVID-19 because of their susceptibility to the virus. However, the acceptability of the vaccine varies across populations. Thus, this study aimed to determine the health care worker's intentions to accept the COVID-19 vaccine and its associated factors in southwestern Ethiopia, 2021. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among health care workers in public hospitals in southwestern Ethiopia from March 15 to 28, 2021. A simple random sampling method was used to select 405 participants from each hospital. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency and percentage, were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was also performed to identify factors associated with health care worker's intention to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Statistically significant variables were selected based on p-values (<0.05) and the adjusted odds ratio was used to describe the strength of association with 95% confidence intervals. Among the respondents, 48.4% [95% CI: 38.6, 58.2] of health care workers intended to accept COVID-19. Intention to accept COVID-19 vaccination was significantly associated with physicians (AOR = 9.27, 95% CI: 1.27-27.32), professionals with a history of chronic illness (AOR = 4.07, 95% CI: 2.02-8.21), perceived degree of risk of COVID-19 infection (AOR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.26-16.98), positive attitude toward COVID-19 prevention (AOR = 6.08, 95% CI: 3.39-10.91) and good preventive practices (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.58-5.08). In this study, the intention of health care workers to accept the COVID-19 vaccine was low. Professional types, history of chronic illness, perceived degree of risk to COVID-19 infection, attitude toward COVID-19 and preventive practices were found to be factors for intention to accept COVID-19 vaccine in professionals. It is important to consider professional types, history of chronic illness, perceived degree of risk to COVID-19, attitude of professionals and preventive behaviors to improve the intention of professionals' vaccine acceptance.

Challenges in Preventive Practices and Risk Communication towards COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh recently experienced a COVID-19 second wave, resulting in the highest number of new cases and deaths in a single day. This study aims to identify the challenges for COVID-19 preventive practices and risk communications and associated factors among Bangladeshi adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 involving 1382 Bangladeshi adults (aged ≥ 18-years) in randomly selected urban and rural areas from all eight divisions in Bangladesh. Descriptive data analysis was conducted to highlight the challenges for preventive practices and risk communications for COVID-19. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the sociodemographic groups vulnerable to these challenges. Lack of availability of protective equipment (44.4%), crowded living situations/workspaces (36.8%), inadequate information on the proper use of protective measures (21.9%), inadequate handwashing and sanitation facilities (17.6%), and negative influences on family/friends (17.4%) were identified as barriers to COVID-19 preventive practices. It was also found that males (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.7), rural residents (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 2), respondents with a low level of education: no schooling vs. ≥higher secondary (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 2.3, 5.2), primary vs. ≥higher secondary (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.7, 3.8), respondents engaged in agricultural (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2, 2.4), laboring (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 2, 5), and domestic works (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.07, 2.5), and people with disabilities (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1, 2.6) were all likely to have difficulty in practicing effective COVID-19 protective behaviors. Respondents’ education and occupation were significant predictors of inadequate understanding of COVID-19 risk communications and was identified as a problem among 17.4% of the respondents. A substantial percentage of Bangladeshi adults have difficulty practising COVID-19 protective behaviours and have poor comprehension of risk communications, particularly in rural areas and among those with low education. This research can aid policymakers in developing tailored COVID-19 risk communications and mitigation strategies to help prevent future waves of the pandemic.

Hubungan Tingkat pengetahuan dan Sikap dengan Praktik Pencegahan COVID-19 pada Masyarakat Pengguna Internet di Kota Semarang

Background: The city of Semarang was ranked first in the highest confirmed case of COVID-19 in Central Java. Various control efforts have been made to stop the spread of this disease through government regulations and behavioral interventions in the community that depend on the compliance of the community itself. This study aims to analyze the level of health literacy, level of knowledge, attitudes and prevention practices related to COVID-19 in the general public of Semarang City.Methods: This study uses an observational analytic method with a cross-sectional approach which is carried out on the people of Semarang City. Data was collected through a google form questionnaire which was distributed online through social media from October 12 to November 9, 2020 and managed to collect 407 respondents from 16 sub-districts in Semarang City. The questionnaire consists of 42 questions covering the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of prevention against COVID-19. Data were analyzed by univariate and bivariate with Chi-square statistical analysis.Result: The knowledge of internet users in Semarang City regarding COVID-19 was mostly good (50.1%), the attitudes and practices of preventing COVID-19 were also mostly good (56.5% and 50.6%). There was a significant relationship between the level of knowledge about COVID-19 and COVID-19 prevention practices (p-value=0,001). There was a relationship between attitudes related to COVID-19 and COVID-19 prevention practices (p-value=0.001).Conclusion : There is a relationship between the level of knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 prevention practices in the internet user community in Semarang City. Improved health education is needed to improve literacy and prevention practices for COVID-19.

The Health Belief Model as an explanatory framework for COVID-19 prevention practices

BackgroundThe COVID-19 government public health measures are necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however, their efficacy is largely dependent on adherence. This study utilized the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explain the public’s adopted prevention practices during the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia. MethodsThis study used “COVID-19 Snapshot MOnitoring (COSMO): monitoring knowledge, risk perceptions, preventive behaviours, and public trust in the current coronavirus outbreak” research protocol which is developed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the COSMO group. The COSMO questionnaire was translated into Arabic and distributed as an online survey via WhatsApp instant messaging application from May 2nd to May 26th, 2020. The dependent variable was the mean of adopting ten COVID-19 preventive practices. These practices were hand washing, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, use of hand sanitizer, covering mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing, staying home when sick, avoiding close contact with infected persons, social distancing, wearing masks, home isolation, and lockdown. The independent variables included the HBM constructs (susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19, benefits of and barriers to adopting preventive behaviors, cues to action, health motivation, and self-efficacy), sociodemographic factors, presence of chronic illness, and perceived and actual knowledge. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses and reported significant findings (P ≤ 0.05). ResultsWe analyzed 1027 surveys. About 38% adhered to all COVID-19 preventive behaviors and the mean for adherence was 9. The HBM perceived benefits (p = 0.001), perceived barriers (p = 0.004), and cues to action (p = 0.046) were associated with adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors after adjusting for all other factors. Respondents with the highest levels of education and income were less likely to adopt COVID-19 preventive behaviors compared to those in the lower ranks of education and income. ConclusionOur findings suggest that the HBM can be applied to understand adherence to COVID-19 prevention practices. The recognition of perceived health beliefs and practices is important for developing effective COVID-19 health intervention strategies.

Impact of the COVID 19 Infodemic on Knowledge, Attitude and Social Behavior in India: A Mixed Method Survey

ABSTRACT India, which has a growing base of 350 million social media users and large proportion of which are unaware about fact checking of the sources. This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 misconceptions on knowledge, attitude and preventive (KAP) practices in India using an online cross sectional survey and using semi-structured interviews. sThe 5 sections of the e-form collected the demographic profile, COVID-19 information profile, knowledge, preventive practices and attitude toward COVID-19. Also, this study aims to assess the impact of misinformation on individual and social behavior through 24 semi structured open ended interview questions and suggests mitigation measures. The misinformation question included “Coronavirus is airborne disease,” Frequent washing clothes can reduce spreading of COVID-19”, “Consuming herbal products, home cures and supplements can prevent COVID-19” and “Gargling with salt water or vinegar can prevent COVID-19.” Among the 520 responses, 44%, 51%, 44% and 32% agreed to these questions respectively. Binomial regression model was fitted to identify the predictors of KAP of COVID-19 prevention by taking the level of KAP separately and it revealed that the predictors for poor knowledge, negative attitude and noncompliance to preventive measures were associated with the misconceptions. The descriptive analysis in Tableau revealed that the trusted sources of information is majorly mass media. The content analysis of the interviews revealed that religious preventive methods, consumption of daily supplements, risk factors of the infection, disease statistics; treatments and conspiracy theory, are the subjective categories of the current outbreak. The consequences of misconceptions include stigma of discrimination, psychological distress and increased hygiene practices. The antidote to infodemics should include analyzing the information propagation and understanding the cognition and behavior of the population. In the era of the internet, health bodies can educate and address the people’s concern with the help of digital and e- health literacy.

COVID-19 Related Misconceptions and Prevention Practices Among the Public in a Southeastern City in Nigeria

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic brought several misconceptions that could hinder individuals from taking necessary measures to prevent infection, thus, undermining the public health containment efforts. We aimed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 related misconceptions and their associations with demographic characteristics and prevention practices in Onitsha city in Anambra state, Nigeria. Methods: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 140 adult residents of Onitsha city in Anambra state, Nigeria, conducted in March 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the study population and determine the associations between COVID-19 misconceptions, demographic characteristics, and implementation of COVID-19 prevention practices. Data management and statistical analyses were conducted using SAS JMP Statistical DiscoveryTM Software version 14.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA). Results: The participants’ average age was 34.5 (SD: ±10.9) years, and most were males (54.3%). Misconceptions about COVID-19 among the study population resulted in markedly reduced compliance with nearly all prevention practices. Some participants believed that COVID-19 would not spread in Nigeria (34.4%, p&lt;0.0001), was not fatal (10.8%, p&lt;0.0001), can be prevented and cured through spiritual means (48.2%, P &lt;0.0001), use of herbs (13.6%, P &lt;0.0001), use of antibiotics (11.4%, p&lt;0.0001) and that COVID-19 vaccine was available (25.4%, p&lt;0.01). Misconception about the possibility of COVID-19 spread was significantly associated with non-compliance to all prevention practices (P&lt;0.05) except travel restrictions. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Our study suggests the need for the government to tailor interventions targeting the common misconceptions in Onitsha in order to improve the public’s trust and compliance with recommended COVID-19 prevention practices. Misconception has become a significant public health challenge, primarily as its prioritization over scientific evidence and guidelines directly affects the pandemic preparedness and control efforts and may cause more people to be at risk of contracting COVID-19. Copyright © 2021 Iloanusi et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and frequent hand hygiene practices among taxi drivers and associated factors in urban areas of Ethiopia.

Although several studies have been conducted on COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and prevention practices among healthcare workers and the general population, there has not been any study among taxi drivers in Ethiopia, including Dessie City and Kombolcha Town, the lack of which hinders providing evidence-based interventions to this target group. Thus, this study was designed to contribute to proper planning of COVID-19 intervention measures among taxi drivers in Dessie City and Kombolcha Town, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 417 taxi drivers in Dessie City and Kombolcha Town during July to August, 2020. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. The collected data was checked, coded and entered to EpiData version 4.6 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for data cleaning and analysis. The outcome variables of this study were good or poor knowledge, positive or negative attitude and good or poor frequent hand hygiene practices towards COVID-19. Bivariate (Crude Odds Ratio [COR]) and multivariable (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]) logistic regression analysis were employed to identify factors significantly associated with good knowledge, positive attitude and good frequent hand hygiene practices among taxi drivers. Significance level of variables was declared at a p < 0.05 from the adjusted analysis. Out of the total 417 taxi drivers, 69.8% [95% CI: 65.2-73.9], 67.6% [95%CI: 63.1-72.2] and 66.4% [95% CI: 62.1-71.0] of the drivers had good knowledge, positive attitude and good frequent hand hygiene practices, respectively. Educational level (AOR = 7.55, 95% CI = 4.55-12.54), place of residence (AOR = 5.41, 95% CI = 1.4-20.08) and attitude towards COVID-19 prevention (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.02-2.74) were factors associated with good knowledge about COVID-19. Further, age of taxi drivers greater than 30 years (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.76-5.13), educational level of secondary or above (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.88-5.31), income (AOR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.48-7.61), and knowledge about COVID-19 (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.21-3.54) were factors associated with positive attitude towards COVID-19 prevention. In addition, attitude towards COVID-19 (AOR = 5.5, 95% CI = 3.40-8.88) and educational level (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.15-2.95) were the factors associated with good frequent hand hygiene practices. We concluded that the rates of good knowledge, positive attitude and good frequent hand hygiene practices were relatively low among taxi drivers in Dessie City and Kombolcha Town. We strongly recommended providing training about COVID-19 prevention measures for taxi drivers that considers age, education status and attitude areas essential to improve their knowledge, attitude and frequent hand hygiene practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Prevention Practices and Associated Factors Among Frontline Community Health Workers in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

BackgroundA timely understanding of the frontline community health care workers’ prevention practices towards COVID-19 is very crucial to combat the pandemic. Despite this, no study has been conducted among frontline community health workers in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. The study aimed to determine the status of implementation of preventive measures of frontline community health care workers towards COVID-19 and its associated factors.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 421 health extension workers among selected districts. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire adapted from different pieces of literature. Respondents who scored above mean score on the item measurement such as knowledge, attitude, and practice questions were categorized as knowledgeable, having positive attitude, and having good prevention practices, respectively. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 software. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify significant predictors. P– values less than or equal to 0.05 were declared as statistically significant.ResultsThe mean age of study participants was 31.35 years (±4.83 SD), and almost half (217; 51.54%) of respondents were single and 273 (62.47%) were trained for COVID-19 prevention measures. Of the total study subjects, 194 (46.08%; 95% CI=41.6–50.7%) had good prevention practices towards COVID-19. Being married (AOR=3.36, 95% CI=2.20–5.13), being trained (AOR=2.28, 95% CI=1.39–3.74), having good knowledge (AOR=2.4, 95% CI=1.52–3.99), and having positive attitude towards COVID-19 prevention measures (AOR=5.88, 95% CI=3.52–9.80) increase the likelihood of implementing prevention measures.ConclusionThis study showed that prevention status was low; therefore, government and non-governmental organizations working around the study area should emphasize providing training to increase their level of knowledge and to change the attitude towards implementation of prevention measures, and these can ultimately increase the status of prevention practices.

GAMBARAN KARAKTERISTIK DAN PRAKTIK PENCEGAHAN COVID-19 PADA MAHASISWA UNIVERSITAS DIPONEGORO SEMARANG

Abstract: Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan announced that face-to-face lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic would begin in January 2021. Diponegoro University as the campus with the largest number of students in Semarang must prepare strict health protocols. The application of good COVID-19 prevention practices to students is needed to reduce the rate of transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of respondents in the form of gender, type of study, total monthly expenditure, and completeness of access to information with the COVID-19 prevention practices among Diponegoro University students in Semarang. Sampling was chosen non-randomly by using a quota sampling technique. Data was collected using a questionnaire via Google Form. Data was analysed using univariate analysis to describe the frequency distribution of the research variables, as well as bivariate analysis with 2x2 cross tabulations to describe the characteristics of respondents with prevention practices related to COVID-19. The number of samples collected was 528 respondents. The results showed that 275 respondents (52.2%) had good COVID-19 prevention practices. Respondents who had good practices were more often found in female respondents (60.6%), studied in health major (64.5%), had high total expenditures per month (56.9%), and sufficient access to information related to COVID -19 (59.7%).

COVID-19 Prevention Practices and Associated Factors among Diabetes and HIV/AIDS Clients in South-Wollo Zone, Ethiopia: A Health Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundCoronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) is affecting many people. Chronic patients are highly vulnerable to contracting an infection. Most people recover within a week, but chronic patients can face severe illness or death. The increasing of cases, complications, and mortality demands compulsory preventive measures. Therefore, this study was designed to identify major preventive practices and associated factors.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was employed from November to December 2020 among diabetics and HIV/AIDS follow-up clients in Dessie referral hospital. Data were entered into EpiData manager 4.6.0 version and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0 for data cleaning and analysis. Logistic regression analysis was done and an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used for determining the strength of association.ResultsData were collected from 426 participants with a mean age of 46.54 years. The overall poor prevention practice rate of COVID-19 among diabetic and HIV/AIDS follow-up clients was 68.8% 95% CI (64.6–72.8%). Factors significantly associated with poor prevention practice were femaleness (AOR; 1.61; 95% CI; 1.03–2.51), illiterate [AOR; 2.59; 95% CI; 1.33–5.09]), family size greater than four (AOR; 2.06; 95% CI; 1.32–3.23), absence of health professional in the household (AOR; 1.79; 95% CI; 1.13–2.84), not having health insurance (AOR; 1.85; 95% CI; 1.18–2.89) and urban residence (AOR; 0.38; 95% CI; 0.18–0.79).ConclusionThe overall proportion of prevention practice towards COVID-19 among diabetic and HIV/AIDS follow-up clients was poor. Illiteracy, having a family size greater than four, not having health professionals in the household, not having health insurance and urban residency were associated with poor prevention practices. Therefore, continuous health educations about good preventive behavioral practice should be enhanced by the health professionals.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Preventive Practices Towards COVID-19 Among Students of Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions.

IntroductionCOVID-19 has been a global public health problem since December 2019. Higher education institutions are risky areas for the transmission of COVID-19. But, still there is insufficient information on the prevention of the disease in this setting.ObjectiveTo assess knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices towards COVID-19 among students of Ethiopian higher education institutions.MethodsInstitutin -based cross-sectional study design was conducted from December 1 to 30, 2020 among randomly selected 407 undergraduate students from higher education institutions in Ethiopia. The outcome variables were knowledge, attitude, and practices towards COVID-19. Binary logistic regression models at 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to determine the factors affecting knowledge, attitude, and practices towards COVID-19. In multivariable analysis, variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant and independently associated with outcome variables at 95% CI.ResultsAbout 75.9% (95% CI: 72.2–79.9%) of University students had a good knowledge, 62.4% (95% CI: 58.2–67.1%) had a positive attitude, and 56.8% (95% CI: 52.6–61.9%) had a good COVID-19 prevention practices. Students over the age of 30 (AOR=5.8; 95% CI: 1.5, 10.6), third-year students (AOR=3.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 8.9), and being health science students (AOR=4.4; 95% CI: 2.2, 8.9) were significantly associated with a good knowledge towards COVID-19. Urban residents (AOR=0.6; 95% CI: 0.3–0.9), having an average family monthly income of $75USD (AOR=3.5; 95% CI: 1.8–6.7), use of at least one type of social media (AOR=4.7; 95% CI: 1.7–12.9), and having a positive attitude (AOR=2.2; 95% CI: 1.3–3.5) were significantly associated with COVID-19 prevention practices.ConclusionDespite three-fourths of the participants had a good knowledge, the attitude and prevention practices were low. Age, study year, College of study, presence of chronic illnesses, use of social media, family income, and residence were factors of knowledge, attitude, and prevention practices towards COVID-19. Hence, multiple information dissemination strategies using multiple media outlets should be implemented continuously.

COVID-19 Prevention Practices and Associated Factors Among Farmers in Peri-Urban Areas of Northeastern Ethiopia.

BackgroundCOVID-19 is a global health threat due to its rapid spread and ability to kill millions of people. The majority of pandemic-fighting approaches rely on prevention activities, which can be influenced by a variety of factors. Farmers are more vulnerable to COVID-19, so evaluating existing prevention practices and associated factors is critical to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo assess COVID-19 prevention practices and associated factors among farmers in peri-urban areas of Northeastern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 409 selected farmers. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews and on-the-spot-observational checklist. Data were analyzed using bivariable logistic regression model at 95% CI (confidence interval). During the bivariable analysis (crude odds ratio [COR]), varibales having a p-value of less than 0.250 were included into the multivariable analysis (adjsuted odds ratio [AOR]). Factors associated with COVID-19 preventive practices were determined using a multivariable analysis at a p-value of 0.050.ResultsOf 409 participants, 206 (63.6%), 157 (38.4%), and 117 (28.6%) of them had satisfactory knowledge, positive attitude, and good prevention practices about COVID-19, respectively. Age of the farmers with greater than or equal to 45 years (AOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7–6.1), educational status of secondary school and above (AOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.4–6.6), and income level of having greater than or equal to 2,001.00 Ethiopian birr (ETB) (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1–3.4) were all found to be significantly associated with the COVID-19 prevention practices.ConclusionEven though the majority of farmers had satisfactory knowledge, a considerable proportion of them had a negative attitude and poor COVID-19 prevention practices. Age, educational status, and income level are factors associated with COVID-19 prevention practices. Hence, health education should be given to improve the farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and prevention practices to minimize the risk of COVID-19 among farmers in semi-urban areas of northestern Ethiopia.

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Predictors of Preventive Practices Toward COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Background: COVID-19 quickly assumed a global epidemic with its attendant health, socio-political and economic impacts. Healthcare workers are particularly at increasing risk of being infected and transmitting the virus. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, practice and predictors of preventive practices toward COVD-19 among healthcare workers in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Data were collected online among health workers across health facilities in Ogbomoso. Factors associated with good practices were analyzed using Chi-square. Predictors of good preventive practices were determined by multivariate binary logistic regression. The level of statistical significance was determined to be at P &lt; 0.05. Results: There were 132 study participants; with an average age of 31 years. Fifty-eight percent were medical laboratory scientists. Levels of good knowledge, attitude, and practices were 59.1%, 58.3%, and 38.6%, respectively. Eight-seven percent of respondents sourced COVID-19 related information via the mass media. Ninety-four percent of respondents will not stay at home if sick because of work. Age, profession, and knowledge are significantly associated with COVID-19 preventive practices. The predictors (Model II) of good COVID-19 preventive practices include being a laboratory scientist (odds ratio [OR]: 2.44 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 6.71]; P = 0.039), working in primary health facility (OR: 4.72 [95%CI: 1.08, 20.67]; P = 0.039) and having good COVID-19 knowledge (OR: 3.71 [95%CI: 1.49–9.925]; P = 0.005). Conclusion: Our study has shown the predictors of good COVID-19 preventive practices among healthcare workers and the need for policy and practice change as it relates to COVID-19 infection prevention and mitigation among healthcare workers.

Knowledge, Attitude, Perception of Covid-19 Prevention Practices Among Residents in Selected Local Government Areas in Lagos State Nigeria

Background: COVID-19 has no effective cure, yet early recognition of symptoms and timely seeking of supportive care and preventive practices enhance recovery from the illness and combat the spread of the virus. To reduce the risk of transmission in the community, individuals should be advised to wash hands diligently, practice respiratory hygiene (cover their cough), avoid crowds and close contact with ill individuals (WHO,2019). This study was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out in January, 2021 designed to assess the knowledge, attitude, perception of covid-19 prevention practices among residents in selected local government areas in Lagos State Nigeria. The knowledge obtained from this research should act as a framework for educating the population about the triggers, modes of infection and, most specifically, disease prevention. Methods: The data was collected and analyzed using the statistical package of social (SPSS) version 28. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used. Inferential statistic that was used is Chi-square and was adopted in testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Four hundred and twenty questionnaires (420) were administered, and four hundred were completely and correctly filled. The response rate was 95.2%. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 38.43±16.4years. The ages of the majority 118 (29.5%) of the respondents, fell within the 30 to 39 years age range. Most 251(62.8%) of the respondents were female while less than half 158(39.5%) of the respondents were Muslims. More than half 208(52.0%) of the respondents were married. Few 135(33.8%) of the respondents had tertiary education, with less than half 151(37.8%) of the respondents without formal education. Most 174(43.4%) of the respondents are Artisans. More than half 241(60.3%) of the respondents had fair knowledge about COVID19, with 159(39.8%) of the respondents having good knowledge. Most 279(69.8%) of the respondents had low perception of COVID19 prevention while 121(30.2%) of the respondents had high perception. All 400(100%) of the respondents had negative attitudinal disposition towards COVID19 prevention. Slightly half 262(67.8%) of the respondents had poor prevention practices, while 198(49.5%) of the respondents had good prevention practices. Conclusion: This study provided a comprehensive look at the knowledge, attitude and perception of COVID19 prevention practices among residents of selected local government areas in Lagos Nigeria. The participants had a high level of knowledge about the virus and good practice towards using protective measures, which is significant towards controlling the spread of the virus. But the attitudinal disposition of the respondent’s was negative; this could be because of inadequate information regarding the virus. This study recommends developing informative COVID-19 related campaigns, and providing necessary protective mask and hand sanitizers for the residence of this community. Effective health education campaigns aimed at enhancing attitude of COVID-19 are therefore desperately needed to promote positive mindset and maintain appropriate preventive practices and health campaigns should be more focused on practices such as regular hand-washing with soap and water and social distancing, which protect against transmission of COVID-19 among community members irrespective of their sex.

Knowledge and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among pregnant women seeking antenatal services in Northern Ghana.

COVID-19 is a novel respiratory disease associated with severe morbidity and high mortality in the elderly population and people with comorbidities. Studies have suggested that pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant women. However, it's unclear whether pregnant women in Ghana are knowledgeable about COVID-19 and practice preventive measures against it. This study sought to assess the knowledge and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among pregnant women seeking antenatal services in Northern Ghana. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire in the Nabdam district in Ghana. A total of 527 pregnant women were randomly sampled from health facilities offering antenatal care services in the district. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the predictors and outcome variables. The prevalence of adequate knowledge and good COVID-19 preventive practices were 85.6%, (95% CI: 82.57, 88.59) and 46.6%, (95% CI: 42.41, 50.95) respectively. Having at least a primary education, residing in an urban area, and receiving COVID-19 education at a health facility were positively associated with adequate knowledge on COVID-19. Factors positively associated with good COVID-19 preventive practices were older age, having at least a primary education, pregnant women with a chronic disease, and living in an urban area. Multiparity was negatively associated with good COVID-19 preventive practices. Although majority of women had adequate knowledge of COVID-19, less than half of them were engaged in good COVID-19 preventive practices. Education of pregnant women on COVID-19 preventive practices should be intensified at health facilities while improving upon the water, sanitation and hygiene need particularly in rural communities.

PIN34 COVID-19 Related Knowledge, Attitude and Practices in a Southeastern City in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Although guidelines and recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19 are in place, it is vital to assess how well people know and practice them, as well as people’s attitude towards these measures to inform robust interventions. This study examined COVID-19 related knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices (KAP) among adult residents of the city of Onitsha in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Promoting COVID-19 prevention strategies in student dormitory setting: A qualitative study

Objective: To explore the risk perceptions and COVID-19 prevention practices of dormitory residents in Indonesia. Participants: Nineteen dormitory residents, 3 staff and 1 dormitory manager were recruited from the Saint Theresa Avila student dormitory. Methods: This qualitative study used individual interviews and framework analysis. Results: Generally, the study confirms that there is a gap between risk perception and COVID-19 prevention practices among dormitory residents. There are barriers in accessing hand washing facilities and in complying with COVID-19 prevention protocols including not wearing masks, not following quarantine procedures and visiting friends’ rooms. Conclusion: Dormitory managers and staff should repeatedly remind residents to wear masks and maintain safe distance through sending short messages on dormitory social media groups. In addition to psychological assistance and basic supplies during self-quarantine, providing sanitizer and installing posters detailing the hand-washing steps are essential at each hand-washing facility in the dormitory.

COVID-19 prevention practices in urban setting during early introduction of the disease: results from community survey in SNNP Region, Ethiopia

ObjectiveTo assess community practices related to COVID-19 prevention and its associated factors during the early introduction of the disease to the study area.Setting and participantsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted...

Compliance towards infection prevention measures among health professionals in public hospitals, southeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study with implications of COVID-19 prevention

IntroductionThe new coronavirus disease 2019 is an emerging respiratory disease caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus which has currently overwhelmed the world. Realizing a comprehensive set of infection prevention measures is a key to minimize the spread of this virus and its impacts in all healthcare settings. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the compliance towards COVID-19 preventive measures and associated factors among health professionals in selected public hospitals, southeast Ethiopia.MethodsA descriptive hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 660 health professionals in public hospitals of southeast Ethiopia from October 1 to 31, 2020. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected by interview using structured and pretested questionnaires. Ordinary logistic regression modeling was used to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratio. To declare the statistical significance of factors associated with the outcome variable, P-value < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval were used.ResultsA total of 654 health professionals were involved in the study; of whom, 313 participants were nurses. The overall good compliance and knowledge of health professionals regarding COVID-19 preventive measures were 21.6 and 25.5%, respectively. Working in the general hospital (AOR = 0.55; 95% CI 0.38, 0.79), service year (AOR = 2.10; 95% CI 1.35, 3.21), knowledge (AOR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.14, 2.89), and water availability (AOR = 3.26; 95% CI 2.25, 4.72) were some of the factors found to have a statistically significant association to compliance of health professionals regarding COVID-19 preventive measures.ConclusionIn this study, nearly one fifth of health professionals had good compliance towards COVID-19 prevention practices. Thus, a consistent supply of COVID-19 prevention materials, facilities, and improving the knowledge of health professionals through on and off-job training are crucial.

COVID-19 Prevention Practices for Employees who Work From Office (WFO)

Background: COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has not ended yet. Since the New Habit Adaptation, previously known as the New Normal, employees have started return to work in offices. At the end of July 2020, the addition of new cases received a large number of contributions from employees working in the office, raising a new cluster known as the office cluster. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between characteristics and practice of preventing the transmission of COVID-19 among employees in Purwokerto, Central Java. Methods: This is a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. Online data collection was conducted in early August 2020. The variables were the respondents’ characteristics (gender, age, occupation, and income) and the practice of COVID-19 prevention among employees in the office (wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, handwashing, opening doors and windows for air circulation). Fifty-seven employees started working in offices in Purwokerto who were involved in this research. Results: Most respondents were adults (82.5%), women (70.2%), working as private employees (77.2%) with an income above the minimum wage (73.7%). Almost all respondents have widely adopted the practice of washing hands (86%) and using masks (98.2%) since the pandemic’s emergence. However, many employees were unable to perform physical distancing (26.3%), stayed away from the crowd (29.8%), opened workspace doors/windows (56.1%), and tried to work outdoor (86%). There is no association between characteristics and prevention practice. Private companies need to tighten their health protocols and monitoring. They should provide rewards and punishments for employees who did not obey the regulation. Also, local governments need to supervise all companies in their area to enforce health protocols seriously.