Regular Hand Washing Research Articles

Staff testing for COVID-19 via an online pre-registration form.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are at increased risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and potentially causing institutional outbreaks. Staff testing is critical in identifying and isolating infected individuals, whilst also reducing unnecessary workforce depletion. Tygerberg Hospital implemented an online pre-registration system to expedite staff and cluster testing. We aimed to identify specific presentations associated with a positive or negative result for SARS-CoV-2.MethodsA retrospective descriptive study design involving all clients making use of the hospital’s pre-registration system during May 2020.ResultsOf 799 clients, most were young and females with few comorbidities. Nurses formed the largest staff contingent in the study, followed by administrative staff, doctors and general assistants. Doctors tested earlier compared with other staff (median: 1.5 vs. 4 days). The most frequent presenting symptoms included headache, sore throat, cough and myalgia. Amongst those testing positive (n = 105), fever, altered smell, altered taste sensation, and chills were the most common symptoms. Three or more symptoms were more predictive of a positive test, but 12/145 asymptomatic clients also tested positive.ConclusionStaff coronavirus testing using an online pre-registration form is a viable and acceptable strategy. Whilst some presentations are less likely to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, no symptom can completely exclude it. Staff testing should form part of a bundle of strategies to protect staff, including wearing masks, regular handwashing, buddy screening, physical distancing, availability of personal protective equipment and special dispensation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related leave.

COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil: adherence to national preventive measures and impact on people\u2019s lives, an online survey

BackgroundThe first case of COVID-19 infection was diagnosed in Brazil 26th February 2020. By March 16th, physical distancing and confinement measures were implemented by the Brazilian government. Little is known about how these measures were followed up by the Brazilian people and their impact on daily routine.MethodsIn early April 2020, using an online platform, we organized an online survey among adults living in Brazil about their COVID-19 preventive behavior and impact on their daily routine.ResultsData from 23,896 respondents were analyzed (mean age: 47.4 years). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, half (51.1%) of the professionals reported working from home. Regular handwashing was practiced by 98.7% of participants; 92.6% reported adhering to the 1.5-2 m physical distancing rule, but only 45.5% wore a face mask when going outside. While 29.3% of respondents found it relatively easy to stay at home, indoor confinement was extremely difficult for 7.9% of participants. Moreover, 11% of participants were extremely worried about their health during the COVID-19 epidemic. Younger people, male, persons living in a rural area/village or popular neighbourhoods, students and workers reported less preventive behaviour.ConclusionRestrictive measures markedly affected the daily and professional routines of Brazilians. Participants showed a satisfactory level of adherence to national COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Qualitative and follow-up studies are needed to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in the Brazilian society.

Do they really wash their hands? Prevalence estimates for personal hygiene behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic based on indirect questions

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people have to change their behaviours to slow down the spreading of the virus. Protective measures include self-isolation, social (physical) distancing and compliance with personal hygiene rules, particularly regular and thorough hand washing. Prevalence estimates for the compliance with the COVID-19 measures are often based on direct self-reports. However, during a health crisis there is strong public pressure to comply with health and safety regulations so that people’s responding in direct self-reports may be seriously compromised by social desirability.MethodsIn an online survey, an indirect questioning technique was used to test whether the prevalence of hygiene practices may be lower than in conventional surveys when confidentiality of responding is guaranteed. The Extended Crosswise Model is an indirect questioning technique that guarantees the confidentiality of responding. To the degree that direct self-reports are biased by social desirability, prevalence estimates of hygiene practices such as thorough hand washing based on the Extended Crosswise Model should be lower than those based on direct self-reports.ResultsWe analysed data of 1434 participants. In the direct questioning group 94.5% of the participants claimed to practice proper hand hygiene; in the indirect questioning group a significantly lower estimate of only 78.1% was observed.ConclusionsThese results indicate that estimates of the degree of commitment to measures designed to counter the spread of the disease may be significantly inflated by social desirability in direct self-reports. Indirect questioning techniques with higher levels of confidentiality seem helpful in obtaining more realistic estimates of the degree to which people follow the recommended personal hygiene measures. More realistic estimates of compliance can help to inform and to adjust public information campaigns on COVID-19 hygiene recommendations.

Vaccination Coverage and the Risk of Hepatitis B Virus Infection amongst Medical and Paramedical Students Practicing at the Bamenda Regional Hospital in Cameroon Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction: The endemic nature of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Sub-Saharan Africa is a significant public health problem that places health care providers (medical students inclusive) at increased risk of occupational exposure. However, vaccination against HBV is not systematic among medical students in Cameroon. Thus, we sought to evaluate awareness and HBV vaccine coverage amongst medical students in Cameroon. Aim: The present study was aimed at determining the proportion of Medical and Paramedical students on internship at the Bamenda Regional Hospital (BRH) who are vaccinated and immune to hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods: This was a hospital-based cross sectional study carried out at the BRH in Cameroon. Questionnaires were administered to 120 participants who signed an informed consent form and venous blood samples collected in dry tubes for the HBV-5 PANEL test. Data were collected within a period of two weeks. HBV vaccine status was defined as complete (3 doses), partial (1 or 2 doses), and unvaccinated. Results: Of 120 participants (87 females and 33 males), 56 (46.7%) were vaccinated at least once against HBV; 15 (12.5%) were partially vaccinated and 41 (34.2%) completely vaccinated. Out of the 56 vaccinated individuals, only 13 (23.2%) were confirmed immunized against HBV by testing positive for hepatitis B surface antibodies. Only 3 (5.4%) students had done post-vaccination serologic test to confirm their immunized status. There was high exposure to potentially infected body fluids like blood (97.5%) and urine (87.5%). There was equally poor practice of adequate preventive measures like regular hand washing and the proper use of personal protective equipment. A prevalence of 3.1% of HBV amongst the unvaccinated group was recorded. Conclusion: Only 1 in 3 medical students had completed the HBV vaccination series and only 26.8% of this cohort was confirmed immunized against HBV. This highlights the need for improved health policies aimed at increasing access and coverage of HBV immunization in high risk groups such as health workers.

Different Approaches to Confronting the Biological Epidemic; Prevention Tools with an Emphasis on COVID-19: A Systematized Study.

Background:The World Health Organization has identified COVID-19 as a public health emergency and is urging governments to stop the virus transmission by adopting appropriate policies. In this regard, authorities have taken different approaches to cutting the chain or controlling the spread of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the approaches to biological epidemics and related prevention tools with emphasis on COVID-19 disease.Methods:The present study was a systematize study of publications related to the prevention strategies for Covid-19 disease. The study was carried out based on the PRISMA guidelines, CASP and AACODS. The data resources included ISI/WOS, PubMed, Scopus, science direct, Ovid and ProQuest. WHO website, published reports of countries, as well as the Worldometer website were evaluated. The time-frame of the study was from 1 December 2019 to 30 May 2020.Results:The study findings showed that in order to confronting the COVID-19 epidemic, in general, there are three approaches of “mitigation”, “active control”, and “suppression” and four strategies of “quarantine”, “isolation”, “social distance”, and “lockdown” in both individual and social dimensions to deal with epidemics. Selection and implementation of each approach requires specific strategies and has different effects when it comes to controlling and inhibiting the disease.Conclusion:One possible approach to control the disease is to change individual behavior and lifestyle. In addition to prevention strategies, use of masks, observance of personal hygiene principles such as regular hand washing and non-contact of contaminated hands with the face, as well as observance of public health principles such as sneezing and coughing etiquettes, safe extermination of personal protective equipment must be strictly observed. The use of the previous experiences in the world, along with the current experiences of countries, can be very helpful in choosing the accurate approach for each country in accordance with the characteristics of that country and lead to the reduction of possible costs at the national and international levels.

Determinants of hand-washing behavior during the infectious phase of COVID-19

Hand washing is one of the most effective measures to reduce the risk of transmitting infectious diseases. However, motivation for regular hand washing during the infectious phase of the SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unclear. We examined four possible reasons for practicing regular hand washing ̶ two involved the perceived effectiveness of this practice in reducing the risk of infection, and the other two involved other motivations. The results of our nationwide survey revealed that people conformed to other peopleʼs practice of washing hands and felt relief from their anxiety when washing their hands. The perceived effectiveness of personal risk reduction, however, showed little effect on the behavior, while motivations such as conformity and relief from anxiety successfully explained a large proportion of hand-washing behavior. Our findings suggest that policymakers responsible for public health should consider social motivations when implementing public strategies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship between COVID-19 and Smoking

The novel coronavirus has disrupted the normal life of each individual with masks becoming an integral part of life. Mostly every person is well informed about the precautions that need to be taken for the containment of the virus such as regular hand washing, wearing of masks in outdoors, social distancing, etc. Yet there has been little reference to the deleterious habit of smoking that can weigh heavily on one's health. This article aims to look into the connection and intricacies of smoking that may directly or indirectly affect the severity of the symptoms of COVID-19. Smoking is already a known etiologic factor for many cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), coronary artery disease, carcinoma of the lungs, etc. While COVID-19 is a virus that causes respiratory distress in severe cases, not much is known or emphasized in the medical field of its possible relationship with smoking. Our information is limited to whether the presence of smoking history in infected patients worsens the condition or there is no relationship between smoking and COVID-19. Moreover, with the introduction of lockdown as a measure to contain the virus, it substantially increases the incidence of anxiety, depression and other mental health diseases which can contribute tremendously to the relapses of smoking or convert a non-smoker to a smoker. Hence, it is imperative to look into the possible relationship of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and smoking.

Discrimination of the Socio-Economic Impact of the Corona Virus Disease Pandemic in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background and Aim: It has been ten months since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the households have been on finding a cure for the disease. Largely neglected is the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic on the population in the country. The aim of the study is to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the living conditions of households in Kinshasa. Methods: The design of this study is a cross-sectional study. A standard questionnaire was used to collect the data. The Revised Event Impact Scale (IES-R) was used to assess the socioeconomic impact of households. Factors with significant impact were sought by wald’s discriminant and logistic regression analysis. Results: About four in five respondents had a significantly psychological impact (ISE-R score > 1). Serious socio-economic impact was significantly associated with women, a liberal profession, a low level of education, and attending revival churches. On the other hand, the use of a mask, regular hand washing, knowledge of the consequences of containment and knowledge of the mode of transmission of COVID-19 reduced the risk of significant impact. Conclusion: Approximately 85% households surveyed had a significantly socioeconmic impact due to the pandemic which highlights the need for more longitudinal studies to be conducted on this age group. Urgent care and appropriate formulation of policies are needed to address the identified problems and to provide care to those in need.

Protective Effects of Moisturizers on Skin Barrier during Regular Hand Washing with Soap Bars.

Protective Effects of Moisturizers on Skin Barrier during Regular Hand Washing with Soap Bars.

Awareness of coronavirus disease-19 preventive measures among general population in Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu

Background and Aim: Measures to prevent and control coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include regular handwashing, physical distancing, and covering the mouth and nose, thereby reducing the spread of droplets. It is advised to follow preventive measures such as the use of facemask, social distancing, hand sanitizer during this pandemic for reducing the risk of infection transmission. The current survey was conducted to understand the public awareness about the preventive measures and its importance in preventing the spread of COVID-19 at the community level in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the awareness among the general population concerning the preventive measures of COVID-19 in the public area in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu. The data collection was done in the month of December 2020, the sample size for the present study was estimated to be N = 268. Results: Altogether 308 individuals, male (129 [49.1%]), female (179 [59.1%]). Maximum 299 (97.1%) were aware of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 274 (89%) feel that wearing mask protect them from COVID-19 and knew that wearing mask would protect themselves as well as others at the same time. N = 144 (46.8%) unaware that they should not share their facemask with their family members. N = 266 (86%) use the hand wash/sanitizer before and after removing their mask. N = 223 (72.4%) practice social distancing in day-to-day life. N = 186 (60.4%) population believe that preventive measures at personal level will reduce the spread. Conclusion: The study population was well aware of the preventive measures to contain the transmission and spread of COVID-19; however, there is a lacunae in the application of their awareness on practice, which has to be overcome by continuous health education and motivational measures.

Factors associated with adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): results of an online survey

ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the level of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to identify factors associated with non-adherence.DesignA cross-sectional population-based online...

From Knowledge to Practice: Are we Prepared to Handle COVID-19 Pandemic? A Health Centre Based Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Knowledge is the beginning of prevention, and transformation of knowledge into preventive practices. Knowledge, attitude and practice surveys among populations provide useful information about community behaviour in prevention and control of infectious diseases like Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aim: To assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of patients about COVID-19 visiting Outpatient Department (OPD) of a health training centre during lockdown period. Materials and Methods: A health centre based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st to 15th May 2020 for 15 days in Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) of Department of Community Medicine, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. All patients (18 years and above) who visited the healthcare facility for the first time (visit) during the study period were included in the study. A total of 485 participants recruited through consecutive sampling were interviewed using adapted World Health Organisation (WHO) and previously published questionnaire on knowledge (15 questions), perceptions (2 questions) and practices (3 questions). Knowledge score ranged from 0 to maximum 15. Analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 statistical software. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square test were used to determine the difference between the groups for different variables at 0.05 level of significance. Results: Mean knowledge score of the participants was 10.6±2.1. Out of 485 participants (mean age 48.8±16.2 years), majority 425 (87.6%) knew about main clinical symptoms and 448 (92.4%) knew isolation and treatment of COVID-19 infected persons as an effective way of prevention and control of COVID-19. However, 284 (58.6%) and 276 (56.9%) participants knew about transmission through respiratory droplets and by touching contaminated surfaces, respectively. Educational status showed an independent association with higher knowledge. Total 190 (39.2%) of the participants agreed on stigma against specific individuals. Regularly washing of hands (77.7%), three layered masks (29.9%) and physical distancing (33.2%) were commonly followed practices. Higher knowledge score was significantly associated with regular handwashing practices (p<0.001) and wearing of three layered masks (p<0.001). Conclusion: Results highlighted good knowledge about COVID-19 of study participants. However, continued efforts over time are required to increase the COVID appropriate behavior regarding usage of face mask and physical distancing.

Some Precautionary Measures to Avoid COVID-19 Spread Among Workers

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a SARS-CoV-2 virus-caused It is critical for every worker to prepare for COVID-19 now to eliminate the impact of COVID-19 epidemic conditions on companies, staff, consumers and the public. Workers must maintain employee social distance activities and monitor the flow of customers; regular and sufficient hand-washing, facilities and surface sanitation for workers; and maintain stay for sick worker’s home or go home if they feel ill. As well as the organization should put in place the proceeding safety precautions at all places of work such as public Health Laws and Procedures, reducing the meeting and if applicable join meetings by mobiles, cleaning the workplace always with disinfecting fluids and training the workers on wearing the protective equipment's and avoid the closing contact between.

Prevalence of anemia and its associated risk factors among urban school children of Chennai/ Tamilnadu

Introduction: Anemia is one of the major public health problems among adolescence age group. In modern society intake of locally available of junk foods is common among different age groups which can lead up to other non communicable disorders in adults. On the other hand there is lot of low socioeconomic population living in urban area and their children are studying in urban schools that are exposed to commonly available neighboring foods around the school premises. These children when they don’t have better performance in their academic career they become school dropouts and hunt for daily jobs for their survival. This study was done to find out the prevalence of clinical manifestation of anemia and associated factors among urban school children. Materials and Methods: a cross sectional study design done on urban school children in saligramam south Chennai from 2015-2017. Results: Prevalence of anemia was found to be 53.4% (95% CI 48.4-58.3). Males students were found to more 62.8% compared to female students 37.2%. In terms of grading of anemia mild 130(33.3%) moderate 64(16.4%) and severe 14(3.6%) respectively and remaining were found to be normal. In this study all student in the government schools were from low socio economic background. a higher prevalence of anemia among the students who had open air defecation, not wearing regular foot wares and not maintaining regular hand washing and who have a habit of taking regular food from the locally available shops and overweight individuals. On clinical examination of the study participants of 390 individuals 204(52.3) revealed pallor of conjunctiva, tongue and nail bed. Most of the children had 254 (65.1) individuals had either of the clinical manifestation of anemia. Conclusion: A higher prevalence of anemia has been found in this study among school children and their associated factors like open air defecation, regular frequent intake of outside foods and improper hand washing and underweight hence there sho

Wearing a face mask against Covid-19 results in a reduction of social distancing.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, barrier gestures such as regular hand-washing, social distancing, and wearing a face mask are highly recommended. Critically, interpersonal distance (IPD) depends on the affective dimension of social interaction, which might be affected by the current Covid-19 context. In the present internet-based experimental study, we analyzed the preferred IPD of 457 French participants when facing human-like characters that were either wearing a face mask or displaying a neutral, happy or angry facial expression. Results showed that IPD was significantly reduced when characters were wearing a face mask, as they were perceived as more trustworthy compared to the other conditions. Importantly, IPD was even more reduced in participants infected with Covid-19 or living in low-risk areas, while it was not affected by the predicted health of the characters. These findings shed further light on the psychological factors that motivate IPD adjustments, in particular when facing a collective threat. They are also of crucial importance for policy makers as they reveal that despite the indisputable value of wearing a face mask in the current pandemic context, their use should be accompanied by an emphasis on social distancing to prevent detrimental health consequences.

Keeping in-school adolescents safe from COVID-19 sequelae to the suspension of school lockdown restriction

Rapid transmission of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and resulting fatalities necessitated the closure of educational institutions in March 2020, and affected nearly 1.6 billion learners globally. However, presently lockdown measures have been lifted, and resumption of physical learning in schools has commenced. At this notable period, it is pertinent to ensure the safety of in-school adolescents from COVID-19 while preventing the risk of further transmission of COVID-19 in school settings. Therefore, we recommend adherence to the reduction of contact between in-school adolescents during school hours. The provision of handwashing equipment such as soap, clean water, bucket(s), and disposable tissue papers positioned at different points should be ensured in schools, with the modalities for such practice exemplified on information, education, and communication materials. Also, maintaining a minimal physical distance of 1m, use of face masks, regular hand washing and disinfection of classrooms, toilet facilities, and surfaces must be ensured among teachers and other school personnel would contribute effectively to the safety of in-school adolescents while schools have reopened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attitude and preventive practices towards COVID-19 disease and the impact of awareness training on knowledge of the disease among correctional officers

COVID-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern. Efforts at the global and national levels are being made to control its spread. The Nigerian Correctional Service is also proactive in the fight against the disease by organizing COVID-19 awareness training for correctional officers. We conducted a pre- and post-test assessment of COVID-19 knowledge among correctional officers in Enugu State Command to determine the impact of awareness training on their knowledge level. The study also assessed correctional officers’ attitude and preventive practices towards the disease. The mean knowledge score was 19.34 out of 25, and the awareness training significantly improved the participants’ COVID-19 knowledge. We found a significant moderate, positive correlation between knowledge and attitude/practice, and a significantly higher knowledge level among those with higher educational qualifications. Regular hand washing with soap and water (87.9%), wearing face masks (84.4%), and social distancing (83%) were practiced by the majority of the participants. . The majority of the participants (53.2%) received COVID-19 information from multiple sources including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization

Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Strategies of Coronavirus COVID 19 in Iran: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Following the announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30, 2020, of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 as a global and emergency state of international health emergency; posing a serious threat to the physical health and lives of individuals transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact. The virus causes respiratory symptoms and damages to other organs, sometimes leading to death in case of exacerbation of symptoms. 
 AIM: This study was conducted through reviewing various articles related to COVID-19 disease, with the purpose of reviewing the epidemiology, prevention and control strategies of COVID-19 coronavirus in Iran.
 METHODS: In the present review study, the articles indexing in the Persian and Latin databases of SID, Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, Scholar, Web of Science, Embase, MedRxiv, and WHO were examined based on MESH keywords. Finally, 38 articles, 5 protocols and reports were reviewed.
 RESULTS: According to the report of the WHO on July 22, 2020, 14,765,256 people worldwide have been infected and 612,054 people have died of this virus. Moreover, in Iran, according to the WHO report, 278,827 people were infected and 14,634 people died of the virus until July 22, 2020. Respiratory droplets are the main way of transmission and it can also be transmitted through close contact. According to research, 51% of patients with chronic disease show symptoms such as fever (83%), cough (82%), shortness of breath (31%), muscle pain (11%), fatigue (9%), headache (8%), sore throat (5%), had rhinorrhea (4%), chest pain (2%), diarrhea (2%), and nausea and vomiting (1%). There is currently no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and clinical treatment for COVID-19 has so far been limited to prophylaxis and palliative care. Quarantine alone is not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Basic health measurements to prevent the spread of the disease include frequent handwashing and the use of personal protective equipment such as masks.
 CONCLUSION: Extensive research can be the key to solve the existing challenges in the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. The best ways to fight the new corona disease include educating the people, providing accurate information, providing personal protective equipment, canceling meetings and emphasizing citizens homeliving and regular handwashing, observing social distancing, and finally identifying suspicious cases and quarantine.

OPTIMALISASI KADER DALAM PENCEGAHAN COVID 19 DI DESA PASIR LOR KECAMATAN KARANGLEWAS BANYUMAS

Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new type of disease that has never been identified before in humans. COVID 19 can be transmitted from human to human through coughing / sneezing (droplet). To prevent the spread of infection is through regular hand washing with soap and clean water, applying the ethics of coughing and sneezing, avoiding direct contact with livestock and wild animals and avoiding close contact with anyone who shows symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as coughing and sneezing. The objective of this activity is to increase the knowledge and skills of cadres about prevention of Covid 19 through Covid 19 prevention training. The method to be used to realize this program is through preparation, implementation, evaluation and follow-up plans. The results showed cadres who had good knowledge increased from 16% to 40%, while cadres mothers who had sufficient knowledge increased from the previous 24% to 32%. Cadres who have less knowledge have decreased from 60% to 28%. Conclusion; the optimization of health cadres in the prevention of Covid 19 in Pasir Lor Village took place effectively and efficiently. Keywords: Optimization of cadres; Covid-19 prevention

Narrative review of non-pharmaceutical behavioural measures for the prevention of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) based on the Health-EDRM framework.

IntroductionNon-pharmaceutical measures to facilitate a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, are urgently needed. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) health emergency and disaster risk management (health-EDRM) framework, behavioural measures for droplet-borne communicable diseases and their enabling and limiting factors at various implementation levels were evaluated.Sources of dataKeyword search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Medline, Science Direct, WHO and CDC online publication databases. Using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine review criteria, 10 bottom-up, non-pharmaceutical prevention measures from 104 English-language articles, which published between January 2000 and May 2020, were identified and examined.Areas of agreementEvidence-guided behavioural measures against transmission of COVID-19 in global at-risk communities were identified, including regular handwashing, wearing face masks and avoiding crowds and gatherings.Areas of concernStrong evidence-based systematic behavioural studies for COVID-19 prevention are lacking.Growing pointsVery limited research publications are available for non-pharmaceutical measures to facilitate pandemic response.Areas timely for researchResearch with strong implementation feasibility that targets resource-poor settings with low baseline health-EDRM capacity is urgently needed.