scholarly journals Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitude and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic response in a tertiary care hospital of Nepal

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dil K. Limbu ◽  
Rano M. Piryani ◽  
Avinash K. Sunny

Background COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic, for which appropriate infection prevention and control measures need to be adopted. Healthcare workers’ adherence to prevention and control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. In this study, we assessed the KAP among healthcare workers towards the COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic. Method A self-developed piloted KAP questionnaire was administered to the recruited healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 response at the Universal College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UCMSTH), in Bhairahawa, Nepal. The knowledge questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the clinical characteristics, prevention, and management of COVID-19. Assessment on attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 included questions on behaviour and change in practices made towards COVID-19 response. Knowledge scores were calculated and compared by demographic characteristics and their attitude and practices towards COVID-19. Data were analysed using bivariate statistics. Results A total of 103 healthcare workers participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 28.24±6.11 years (range: 20–56); 60.2% were females; 61.2% were unmarried; 60.2% had a medical degree, and 39.8% were the nursing staff. The mean knowledge score was 10.59±1.12 (range: 7–13), and it did not vary significantly when adjusted for demographic characteristics. The attitude was positive for 53.4% of the participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.35±1.19 and negative for 46.6% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.88±0.98 (p = 0.02). The practice was good (≥3 score) for 81.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.73±1.12 and poor for 18.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.46±1.13 (p = 0.24). The attitude of the participants improved with increasing age (29.55±7.17, p = 0.02). Conclusion There is comparably better knowledge regarding COVID-19 among healthcare workers. Appropriate practice correlates with better knowledge and positive attitude towards COVID-19 infection is seen with increasing age. Hence, training on protection and protective measures for having a positive attitude among healthcare workers is necessary against the fight with COVID-19 infection.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dil K Limbu ◽  
Rano M Piryani ◽  
Avinash K Sunny

Background To control the spread of ongoing COVID-19 infection, extremely important measures need to be adopted. Healthcare workers adherence to prevention and control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. In this study, we assessed the KAP among healthcare workers towards COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic. Method A self-developed piloted KAP questionnaire was used among the recruited healthcare workers working for the COVID-19 response in the Universal College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UCMSTH), in Bhairahawa, Nepal. The knowledge questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the clinical characteristics, prevention and management of COVID-19. Assessment on attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 included questions on behaviour and change in practices while working during this response. Knowledge scores were calculated and compared by demographic characteristics and their attitude and practices towards COVID-19. Data were analysed using bivariate statistics. Results A total of 103 healthcare workers participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 28.24(6.11) years (range: 20-56); 60.2% were females; 61.2% were unmarried; 60.2% had medical degree and 39.8% were nursing staff. The mean knowledge score was 10.59(1.12) (range: 7-13) and it did not vary by demographic characteristics. Attitude was positive for 53.4% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.35(1.19) and negative for 46.6% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.88(0.98) (p=0.02). Practice was good (≥3 score) for 81.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.73(1.12) and practice was poor for 18.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.46(1.13) (p=0.24). The attitude of the participants improved with the increasing age of the participants (29.55(7.17), p=0.02). Conclusion There is comparably better knowledge regarding COVID-19 among healthcare workers along with appropriate practices, however attitude was less optimistic with better knowledge but more optimistic with higher age of the healthcare workers. Hence, protective measures for healthcare workers in order to improve their attitude is necessary during the pandemic response.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapeephan R. Maude ◽  
Monnaphat Jongdeepaisal ◽  
Sumawadee Skuntaniyom ◽  
Thanomvong Muntajit ◽  
Stuart D. Blacksell ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Key infection prevention and control measures to limit transmission of COVID-19 include social distancing, hand hygiene, use of facemasks and personal protective equipment. However, these have limited or no impact if not applied correctly through lack of knowledge, inappropriate attitude or incorrect practice. In order to maximise the impact of infection prevention and control measures on COVID-19 spread, we undertook a study to assess and improve knowledge, attitudes and practice among 119 healthcare workers and 100 general public in Thailand. The study setting was two inpatient hospitals providing COVID-19 testing and treatment. Detailed information on knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. Results Knowledge of the main transmission routes, commonest symptoms and recommended prevention methods was mostly very high (> 80%) in both groups. There was lower awareness of aerosols, food and drink and pets as sources of transmission; of the correct duration for handwashing; recommended distance for social/physical distancing; and about recommended types of face coverings. Information sources most used and most trusted were the workplace, work colleagues, health workers and television. The results were used to produce a set of targeted educational videos which addressed many of these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting in a number of areas. This included improvements in handwashing practice with an increase in the number of areas correctly washed in 65.5% of the public, and 57.9% of healthcare workers. The videos were then further optimized with feedback from participants followed by another round of retesting. Conclusions Detailed information on gaps in knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. This was used to produce targeted educational videos which addressed these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting. The resulting videos were then disseminated as a resource to aid in efforts to fight COVID-19 in Thailand and worldwide.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253177
Author(s):  
Melashu Balew Shiferaw ◽  
Mulusew Alemneh Sinishaw ◽  
Desalegne Amare ◽  
Genetu Alem ◽  
Dawit Asefa ◽  
...  

Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at an increased risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) compared to the general population, because of the frequent face to face contact or potential exposure to TB through shared air or space with infectious patient(s), regardless of economic setting and local TB incidence. Information on the burden of active TB disease among HCWs will help guide control measures, can be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of TB infection prevention programs in the health care setting, and guide necessary actions. However, data on TB among HCW in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of active TB disease among healthcare workers and support staff in healthcare settings in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit a total of 580 randomly selected study participants in the Amhara region. Data were collected over four months in selected hospitals and health centers. Implementation of TB prevention and control measures was evaluated using a standardized checklist. The main outcome indicator was active TB as measured by a laboratory diagnosis using GeneXpert technology. Results A total of 580 study participants were enrolled. The mean age was 31.3 (±7.8 standard deviation) years, with about two-thirds (65.3%) aged between 18–24 years. A total of 9 (1.6%) MTB cases were detected, 4 (1.4%) in HCWs and 5 (1.7%) in support staff, which did not significantly differ (P = 0.50). About 90% of the participants had not received TB infection prevention and control training ever. More than half (54%) of the study participants worked in poorly ventilated rooms. Triage of coughing patients was not practiced in 32% of the studied facilities (health centers and hospitals). Conclusions The magnitude of TB among healthcare workers and support staff in healthcare settings was higher than in the general population (140 per 100000 population). The status of implementation of tuberculosis prevention and control measures indicated missed opportunities. Hence, strict implementation of developed infection control plans of TB in healthcare settings needs to be improved.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nashi Masnad Alreshidi ◽  
Hassan Haridi ◽  
Rana Alaseeri ◽  
Michelle Garcia ◽  
Fe Gaspar ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic extended to reach most countries in the globe during few months. Preparedness of healthcare institutions and healthcare workers (HCWs) are crucial for applying effective prevention and control measures. This study aimed to assess HCWs knowledge, emotions and perception of preparedness of their institutions towards COVID-19 pandemic.Design: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among hospital HCWs in Saudi Arabia during April 27, 2020 to May 03, 2020.Results: Overall, 1004 completed responses were received. The majority were females (78.8), nurses (84.9%) at middle age 25-39 years (71.8%). Among participants, 95.5% reported receiving training on safely use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 94.9% did fit the test for N95 respirator. The participants possessed a fair knowledge about COVID-19 disease with a mean knowledge score 6. 61±1.35 points on a scale of 10 points. Most participants (88.7%) were committed to continue work as a professional and ethical duty, however, 27.1% of them scored high on a negative emotional impact scale. Participants appreciated most aspects of institutional preparedness for COVID-19 pandemic; however, they were concerned with the continuous PPE supply. Factors that independently associated with good knowledge and negative emotional response were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Conclusions: Findings revealed fair knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs in Saudi hospitals. Concerns and worries were expressed regard working with the highly infectious COVID-19 patients. Participants, appreciated most aspects of institutional preparedness, however they were concerned about the continuous availability and supply of PPE.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e114364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda Brouwer ◽  
Eliana Coelho ◽  
Carla das Dores Mosse ◽  
Luciana Brondi ◽  
Laura Winterton ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Lesley T. Bhebhe ◽  
Cornel Van Rooyen ◽  
Wilhelm J. Steinberg

Background: Healthcare-associated tuberculosis (TB) has become a major occupational hazard for healthcare workers (HCWs). HCWs are inevitably exposed to TB, due to frequent interaction with patients with undiagnosed and potentially contagious TB. Whenever there is a possibility of exposure, implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices is critical.Objective: Following a high incidence of TB among HCWs at Maluti Adventist Hospital in Lesotho, a study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of HCWs regarding healthcare-associated TB infection and infection controls.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed in June 2011; it involved HCWs at Maluti Adventist Hospital who were involved with patients and/or sputum. Stratified sampling of 140 HCWs was performed, of whom, 129 (92.0%) took part. A self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used.Results: Most respondents (89.2%) had appropriate knowledge of transmission, diagnosis and prevention of TB; however, only 22.0% of the respondents knew the appropriate method of sputum collection. All of the respondents (100.0%) were motivated and willing to implement IPC measures. A significant proportion of participants (36.4%) reported poor infection control practices, with the majority of inappropriate practices being the administrative infection controls (> 80.0%). Only 38.8% of the participants reported to be using the appropriate N-95 respirator.Conclusion: Poor infection control practices regarding occupational TB exposure were demonstrated, the worst being the first-line administrative infection controls. Critical knowledge gaps were identified; however, there was encouraging willingness by HCWs to adapt to recommended infection control measures. Healthcare workers are inevitably exposed to TB, due to frequent interaction with patients with undiagnosed and potentially contagious TB. Implementation of infection prevention and control practices is critical whenever there is a possibility of exposure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-144
Author(s):  
Radha Paudel ◽  
Sarita Shrestha ◽  
Laxmi Gurung

Background: COVID-19 has become a global health threat and the disease burden is expected to increase more. Nurses are the front lines of COVID management. Because this work requires close personal exposure to patients with COVID-19, nurses are at high risk of infection, contributing to further spread. Nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices can influence the prevention and control of pandemic. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19 among nurses.   Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among 141 nurses from the central hospital, Kathmandu. A purposive sampling technique was used and the data collection date was June 5 to July 20, 2020. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.   Results: The study showed that 60.3% of the participants had good knowledge, 53.2% of them had acceptable practice and a cent percent (100%) of them had a positive attitude on the preventive and control measures against COVID-19. More than 3/4th (75.8%) of them were agreed to handle the COVID-19 outbreak confidently in their healthcare setup. Although, 85.8% of participants were worried that they and their family members will probably get infected with COVID-19 while working in the hospital. However, 39% of them were feeling isolated by their community, and relatives due to their profession.   Conclusions: Nurses have good knowledge, a positive attitude, and acceptable practice about prevention and control of COVID-19. However, the level of some knowledge and practice was still lower than that expected.      Keywords: Attitude; COVID; Knowledge; nurses; prevention and control; practice    


2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleide Maria Ribeiro de Albuquerque ◽  
Marcilania Oliveira Barbosa ◽  
Luciana Iannuzzi

In this study, the events following application of the insecticideDemand 2.5 concentrated solution (CS) in the field, to control Tityus stigmurus, were investigated. Data on attitudes and practices relating to scorpionism were collected using a questionnaire. During the months of May to July 2005, 69 premises were monitored on different days following insecticide treatment, focusing on scorpion frequency and mortality. According to the results, 42% of the premises showed scorpion incidence, with an average of three specimens per house. The highest incidence was recorded during the first week following the treatment. Only 7% of the specimens were found dead. Most (72%) of the population showed knowledge about prevention and control measures. Despite this, 100% of the premises presented breeding sites, mainly in debris (79.7%). These results indicate that the scorpion control method used by health agents during this investigation was not efficient, and the results suggest that the method may have had a dispersive effect on these animals.


eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick K Jones ◽  
Lucy Rivett ◽  
Dominic Sparkes ◽  
Sally Forrest ◽  
Sushmita Sridhar ◽  
...  

Previously, we showed that 3% (31/1032)of asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) from a large teaching hospital in Cambridge, UK, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in April 2020. About 15% (26/169) HCWs with symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Rivett et al., 2020). Here, we show that the proportion of both asymptomatic and symptomatic HCWs testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 rapidly declined to near-zero between 25th April and 24th May 2020, corresponding to a decline in patient admissions with COVID-19 during the ongoing UK ‘lockdown’. These data demonstrate how infection prevention and control measures including staff testing may help prevent hospitals from becoming independent ‘hubs’ of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and illustrate how, with appropriate precautions, organizations in other sectors may be able to resume on-site work safely.


Author(s):  
Y. Arockia Suganthi ◽  
Chitra K. ◽  
J. Magelin Mary

Dengue fever is a painful mosquito-borne infection caused by different types of virus in various localities of the world. There is no particular medicine or vaccine to treat person suffering from dengue fever. Dengue viruses are transmitted by the bite of female Aedes (Ae) mosquitoes. Dengue fever viruses are mainly transmitted by Aedes which can be active in tropical or subtropical climates. Aedes Aegypti is the key step to avoid infection transmission to save millions of people in all over the world. This paper provides a standard guideline in the planning of dengue prevention and control measures. At the same time gives the priorities including clinical management and hospitalized dengue patients have to address essentially.


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