scholarly journals The Change of Public Individual Prevention Practice and Psychological Effect From the Early Outbreak Stage to the Controlled Stage of COVID-19 in China in 2020: Two Cross-Sectional Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingfeng Han ◽  
Hanyu Liu ◽  
Tianshuo Zhao ◽  
Bei Liu ◽  
Hui Zheng ◽  
...  

BackgroundCOVID-19 broke out in China and spread rapidly in January and February 2020. Following the prevention and control measures of the Chinese government, the outbreak was gradually brought under control after March. The changes in people’s attention to the epidemic, individual prevention practice and psychological effect from the early outbreak stage to the under controlled stage need to be evaluated.MethodsTwo cross-sectional, population-based online surveys were conducted from January 28 to February 1, 2020 and from February1 to March 18, 2020. Socio-demographic information and individual protective practice were collected and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used for measuring anxiety. The range of STAI score was 5–25, and the higher the score, the more anxious it was. The respondents of the two surveys were matched on a one-to-one basis according to their province, gender, age, education, and marriage. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare STAI score changes in two stages and in different demographic characteristics.ResultsWe included 9,764 individuals in the first survey and 1,669 in the second survey, covering 30 provincial administrative regions in Mainland China. COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of people’s normal life, especially lifestyle. The proportion of people who paid attention to it every day had dropped from 97.6 to 88.9%. We identified that vast majority people wore masks when they went out. The proportion has declined from 96.5 to 92.4% for hand hygiene and from 98.4 to 95.3% for not attending parties. People’s anxiety (STAI score) across the country has decreased from a median of 19 in the early outbreak stage to a median of 12, including people with all demographic characteristics, but some have increased in 16 provinces.ConclusionPeople’s attention to information about the epidemic has declined slightly, but a high proportion of people maintained good practices such as wearing masks, hand hygiene, and not attending parties. People’s anxiety had generally declined from the early outbreak stage to the under controlled stage, but it was still at a high level.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Ward ◽  
Abimbola Phillips ◽  
Olusola Oresanya ◽  
Gloria Olisenekwu ◽  
Ekundayo Arogunade ◽  
...  

Abstract IntroductionSeasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a WHO-recommended intervention for children aged 3-59 months living in areas of high malaria transmission to provide protection against malaria during the rainy season. Operational guidelines were developed, based on WHO guidance, to support countries to mitigate the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission within communities and among community distributors when delivering SMC.MethodsA cross-sectional study to determine adherence to infection prevention and control measures during two distribution cycles of SMC in Nigeria, Chad and Burkina Faso. Community distributors were observed receiving equipment and delivering SMC. Adherence across six domains was calculated as the proportion of indications in which the community distributor performed the correct action. Focus group discussions were conducted with community distributors to understand their perceptions of the infection prevention and control measures and barriers and facilitators to adherence.ResultsWe observed community distributors in Nigeria (n=259), Burkina Faso (n=252) and Chad (n=266) receiving infection prevention and control equipment and delivering SMC. Adherence to infection prevention and control indications varied. In all three countries, adherence to mask use was the highest (ranging from 73.3% in Nigeria to 86.9% in Burkina Faso). Adherence to hand hygiene for at least 30 seconds was low (ranging from 3.6% in Nigeria to 10.3% in Burkina Faso) but increased substantially when excluding the length of time spent hand washing (ranging from 36.7% in Nigeria to 61.4% in Burkina Faso). Adherence to safe distancing in the compound ranged from 5.4% in Chad to 16.4% in Nigeria. In Burkina Faso and Chad, where disinfection wipes widely available compliance with disinfection of blister packs for SMC was low (17.4% in Burkina Faso and 16.9% in Chad). Community distributors generally found the infection prevention and control measures acceptable, however there were barriers to optimal hand hygiene practices, cultural norms made social distancing difficult to adhere to and caregivers needed assistance to administer the first dose of SMC.ConclusionAdherence to infection prevention and control measures for SMC delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic varied across domains of infection prevention and control, but was largely insufficient, particularly for hand hygiene and safe distancing. Improvements in provision of equipment, early awareness raising and adaptations to make infection prevention and control measures more feasible to implement could increase adherence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Liang Zhu ◽  
Hai-Hong Jiang ◽  
Ming-Hui Jiang ◽  
Wen-Li Liu ◽  
Zi-Lu Sheng ◽  
...  

COVID-19, the coronavirus disease 2019; SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus 2; ACE2, angiotensin converting enzyme 2; S protein, spiked glycoprotein; TMPRSS2, transmembrane serine protease 2; WHO, World Health Organization.Purpose: Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has been viably controlled in China, a new normal in healthcare strategies has become standard in China and worldwide. We conducted a questionnaire study to disseminate the experience from China in terms of urology outpatient prevention and control measures under standardized prevention policies against COVID-19.Participants and Methods: From May 3, 2020 to June 25, 2020, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study, focused on the status of and experiences with outpatient urology prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The targeted respondents were urologists in mainland China, covering all levels of hospitals and clinics.Results: A total of 216 (97%) valid responses were collected. We found that 183 (85%) respondents were from outside of Hubei province in China. One-hundred-and-fifty-eight (73%) respondents believed that SARS-CoV-2 could be detected in urine, and that protection against urine exposure was needed. Over 80% of respondents recommended WeChat application or similar online video meetings for virtual outpatient consultations. The suggested flowcharts and recommendations to prevent new cases were easy to understand and approved by most physicians, which could provide reference for outpatient prevention and control. We still need to make adequate preparations under the new normal of the COVID-19 Epidemic, especially for those suspected of being infected.Conclusions: Although the scientific validation of the questionnaire is limited, it provides a first snapshot of the experiences relating to the prevention and control measures in urology clinics in China, and can inform future policies in this field.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812098294
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Kanellopoulou ◽  
Venetia Notara ◽  
George Antonogeorgos ◽  
Maria Chrissini ◽  
Andrea Paola Rojas-Gil ◽  
...  

Children’s health literacy is a crucial pillar of health. This study is aimed to examine the association between health literacy and weight status among Greek schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years old. A population-based, cross-sectional observational study enrolling 1,728 students (795 boys), aged 10 to 12 years old, was conducted during school years 2014–2016. A health literacy index (range 0-100) was created through an item response theory hybrid model, by combining a variety of beliefs and perceptions of children about health. The mean health literacy score was 70.4 (±18.7). The majority of children (63.8%) had a “high” level (i.e., >67/100) of health literacy, 30.5% had a “medium” level (i.e., 34–66/100) of health literacy, while a small proportion of children (5.7%) had a “low” level (i.e., <33/100). Girls exhibited a higher level of health literacy than boys (71.7 ± 18.3 vs. 68.8 ± 19.1, p < .01). Regarding body weight status, 21.7% of children was overweight and 5.0% was obese. Linear regression models showed that the health literacy score was inversely associated with children’s body mass index (regression coefficient [95% CI]: −0.010 [−0.018, −0.001]), after adjusting for dietary habits, physical activity levels, and other potential confounders. Health literacy seems to be a dominant characteristic of children’s weight status; therefore, school planning, as well as public health policy actions should emphasize on the ability of children’s capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information.


Author(s):  
Muna Abdella ◽  
WubitTafese Mhatebu

A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2015 to march 2016 on bovine fasciolosis, to assess the abattoir based prevalence, predominant species of bovine fasciolosis and associated risk factors of the disease in cattle slaughtered in Halaba municipal abattoir. A total of 384 cattle were examined using post mortem examination. Infection rates were (3.64%), 2.34%, 2.08%, and 1.82 % F. gigantic, F. hepatica, mixed and immature respectively with the overall prevalence of 9.88 % (38). F. gigantic was found to be the most prevalent species in cattle of the study area. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of fasciola infection was significantly higher in poor body condition animals than in medium and good body condition animals (p < 0.05). However, in terms of age, sex and breed, no statistically significant difference was found between infected animals (p > 0.05).The present study showed that bovine fasciolosis is one of the important pathogens in cattle in the study area and warrants appropriate disease prevention and control measures and further epidemiological investigations to determine the different agro ecological risk factors on the occurrence of the disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mai Aldhahri ◽  
Rana Alghamdi

Background: Infection prevention and control measures are critical for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.Aim: In this study, we aimed to measure and evaluate the level of awareness and knowledge of the prevention, symptoms, and transmission control of COVID-19 before and after quarantine among the residents of Rabigh city and adjacent villages in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in two stages: the first stage took place before quarantine and the second stage took place after quarantine. The survey was filled out electronically.Results: A total of 448 participants responded and filled out the questionnaires. Females (73.70%) formed the largest number of participants for both stages. The majority of the participants were &lt;30 years old (50.90%) and had a high education level in various sectors and levels (97.1%). It was noticeable that during the first stage, the participants' awareness of COVID-19 symptoms was not very high: 13.62% did not know about the symptoms. However, by the second stage, awareness about symptoms had increased (9.6%).Conclusion: The residents of Rabigh city and the surrounding villages had good levels of knowledge about COVID-19.


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.


Author(s):  
Xiang-Sha Kong ◽  
Feng Liu ◽  
Hai-Bo Wang ◽  
Rui-Feng Yang ◽  
Dong-Bo Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractAt the end of 2019, an outbreak of unknown pathogen pneumonia occurred in China, then it was named corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). With the rapid spread of COVID-19, a series of strict prevention and control measures were implemented to cut the spread of the epidemic. Influenza as a respiratory tract infection disease as COVID-19 might also be controlled. To assess the effects, we used the total passenger numbers sent in mainland China from 2018 to 2020 and the daily number of railway passenger (DNRP) flow in 2020 during Spring Festival travel rush to reflect the population movement and further to analyze newly and cumulative confirmed COVID-19 and influenza. We found that with implementing the series measures on COVID-19, not only COVID-19, but also influenza mitigated in China. The prevention and control measures for COVID-19 might be used in controlling respiratory tract diseases, and reducing the national health economic burden. When other countries issue measures on COVID-19 and influenza, they should consider adopting more aggressive epidemic prevention and control strategies.


Author(s):  
Nader M. Elsayed Marei ◽  
Mohamed Tharwat Salama ◽  
Mohammed Ali Habibullah

Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of hand washing among dentists in Al Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out by use of a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on WHO`s “Five Moments of Hand Hygiene Questionnaire” with a few notable changes. Statistical Analysis: Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 was used to analyze data. Results were displayed as counts and percentages. Results: The level of knowledge of Hand Hygiene (HH) was found high in 52% and moderate in 37% of the participants, when in the attitude levels the majority of the participants i.e. 88% had high level of attitude and was moderate in 7% of respondents. Level of practices of Hand Hygiene was high in 61%, moderate in 37% and almost none (1.4%) of our participants were found with a low level of practices. Conclusion: The population under study scored high on attitude when compared to practices and knowledge scores were the least. These points to the need for interventions for improving knowledge through regular workshops and continuing education. Since knowledge does not automatically translate into practices, emphasis on HH compliance must be laid.  Planned interventions to improve compliance must be multidimensional which considers and includes administrative support, clinic ergonomics and design, timely HH supplies, periodic educational programs, reminders, process surveillance and employee feedback to achieve sustained improvements. Keywords: COVID-19, Dentist, Hand hygiene, Knowledge, Practices.


10.2196/23729 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e23729
Author(s):  
Ying Chen ◽  
Rui Zhou ◽  
Boyan Chen ◽  
Hao Chen ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
...  

Background The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose an international public health threat. Prevention is of paramount importance to protect the high-risk group of older adults until specific treatments for COVID-19 become available; however, little work has been done to explore factors that promote preventive behaviors among this population. Objective This study aims to investigate the knowledge, perceived beliefs, and preventive behaviors towards COVID-19 of older adults in China and determine the factors that influence their practice of preventive behaviors. Methods From February 19 to March 19, 2020, a cross-sectional, web-based survey was administered to Chinese older adults in all 31 provinces of mainland China using a convenience sampling method to assess the respondents’ knowledge, perceived beliefs, and preventive behaviors towards COVID-19. Standard descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results A total of 1501 participants responded to the survey, and 1263 valid responses (84.1%) were obtained for further analysis. The overall correct rate on the knowledge questionnaire was 87%, overall positive beliefs regarding COVID-19 were found, and the mean behavior score was 13.73/15 (SD 1.62, range 5-15). The hierarchical linear regression showed that respondents who were married or cohabitating and who lived in areas with community-level control measures were more likely to practice preventive behaviors (P<.01). Knowledge (β=0.198, P<.001), perceived susceptibility (β=0.263, P=.03), perceived benefits (β=0.643, P<.001), and self-efficacy in preventing COVID-19 (β=0.468, P<.001) were also found to be significantly associated with preventive behaviors. Conclusions Most older residents had adequate knowledge and positive beliefs regarding COVID-19 and engaged in proactive behaviors to prevent the disease. Knowledge and beliefs were confirmed to be significantly associated with behavior responses. Our findings have significant implications in enhancing the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention programs targeting the older population; these programs must be continued and strengthened as the epidemic continues.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szabolcs Garbóczy ◽  
Anita Szemán-Nagy ◽  
Mohamed S. Ahmad ◽  
Szilvia Harsányi ◽  
Dorottya Ocsenás ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The findings of previous literature showed that epidemics and the associated control measures can increase the level of stress experienced by people. The phenomenon of dissociation has been investigated by many studies, and some have found that stress and trauma may play a central role in its development. In our research study, we examined the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health of students at the University of Debrecen in Hungary. We investigated whether or not the changes caused by the pandemic induced stress among students and whether or not it was accompanied by an increase in the number of dissociative experiences. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Debrecen in Hungary in the period April 30 - May 15, 2020, to assess levels of perceived stress as well as dissociative experiences among students at the time of the official nationwide lockdown. Our survey has adopted the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). A total of 1320 students have enrolled in our study. Results: Our results showed a high level of perceived stress among the students during the pandemic and lockdown. This elevation was found to have a significant correlation with the emergence of dissociative experiences among both the Hungarian and the international students. Also, these changes were significant among males and females and in all subscales. Female students’ levels of dissociative experiences were higher than of male students on all subscales and in both groups (Hungarian and international). Conclusion: According to our findings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the quarantine situation increased the perceived stress level which has played a significant role in the development of dissociative experiences among the students. The increased frequency of dissociative experiences entails a higher risk to the appearance of dissociative disorders; thus, it is crucial to create a safety net for university students who are susceptible to high levels of stress.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document