scholarly journals Synonyms and Symptoms of COVID-19 and Individual and Official Actions against the Disease—A Brief Online Survey 6 Months into the Pandemic and on the Threshold of the Second Wave in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Katharina Auth ◽  
Sabine Bohnet ◽  
Cornelius Borck ◽  
Daniel Drömann ◽  
Klaas F. Franzen
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Facial Mask ◽  
Broad Agreement ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Regulatory Measures ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Taste And Smell ◽  
Do So

To control the ongoing global pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2, we need to influence people’s behavior. To do so, we require information on people’s knowledge and perception of the disease and their opinions about the importance of containment measures. Therefore, in August 2020, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey on these topics in 913 participants in Germany. Participants completed a questionnaire on various synonyms and symptoms of corona virus and specified the importance they attributed to individual and regulatory measures. The virus was linked more closely with most synonyms and the discovery in China than with the places of the first larger European outbreaks. General (cold-like) symptoms, such as “cough” and “fever,” were more widely known than COVID-19-specific ones, e.g., “loss of taste and smell.” The widely promoted individual measures “distancing,” “hygiene,” and “(facial) mask wearing” were rated as highly important, as were the corresponding official measures, e.g., the “distancing rule” and “mask mandate.” However, the “corona warning app” and a “vaccine mandate” were rated as less important. A subgroup analysis showed broad agreement between the subgroups on nearly all issues. In conclusion, the survey provided information about the German population’s perception and knowledge of the coronavirus five months into the pandemic; however, participants were younger and more educated than a representative sample. To learn from the beginning and still ongoing pandemic and develop concepts for the future, we need more conclusive studies, especially on the acceptance of further specified lockdowns, the population’s willingness to be vaccinated, and the influence of misinformation on public opinion.

scholarly journals Pharmacists’ Perception of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11541
Author(s):  
Tamara Al-Daghastani ◽  
Odate Tadros ◽  
Shereen Arabiyat ◽  
Deema Jaber ◽  
Husam AlSalamat
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Second Wave

Objectives: To analyze the role of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, to measure pharmacists’ attitude toward COVID-19 safety measures (wearing masks, wearing gloves, isolation shield, good hygiene, etc.), and explore their perspectives regarding a second wave of the virus. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in Jordan during the COVID-19 outbreak in July 2020 to discuss Jordanian pharmacists’ awareness of safety at their workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, their sources of information, and their predictions for COVID-19 vaccination. Results: The participants (n = 311) were all pharmacists mostly aged between 23–30 years old (45%) and female (83%). The primary source of information about COVID-19 was social networking (38.9%). Pharmacists were committed to social distancing (86.5%) and wearing masks (76.2%). They expressed levels of agreement to their role in decreasing COVID-19 spread (94.2%) and correcting false information (94.5%); they expressed levels of expectation toward concern about a second COVID-19 wave (83%) that would be more severe than the previous one (43.4%). Pharmacists expected that an influenza vaccine might be helpful in decreasing severity and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (56.9%). Pharmacists expected COVID-19 vaccine development within 6 months of administering our study survey (84.9%) and that vaccination might be effective in preventing COVID-19 (93%) infection. Conclusion: Pharmacists expressed positive roles on COVID-19 spread through exemplary actions, self-commitment to protection measures, and public health awareness. Social media as a source of health information should be cautiously investigated, and pharmacists should always refer to evidence-based sources. The role of pharmacists is particularly important for the upcoming era of COVID-19 vaccination administration and awareness.

COVID-19 complications and entrepreneurial intention among the entrepreneurs of Pakistan: evidence from the second wave of the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahadur Ali Soomro
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Government ◽  
Second Wave

Purpose At present, nearly the whole globe is facing a severe threat of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the COVID-19 complications and entrepreneurial intention among the entrepreneurs of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The study used a deductive approach. An online survey is conducted to collect cross-sectional data from entrepreneurs of Pakistan. Convenience sampling is applied to target the respondents. In total, 278 usable answers proceed for final analysis. The structural equation model (SEM) is used to infer the results. Findings The findings of the study highlight a significant negative effect of fear of COVID-19 (FO19), perceived susceptibility (PSU) and perceived severity (PSE) on entrepreneurial intention (EI) among the entrepreneurs. Practical implications The study would provide the guidelines for policymakers and planners to combat the barriers of fear, PSU and PSE during a pandemic. The findings of the second wave of COVID-19 may provide a warning to the government to take preventive measures to face the severe effect of the pandemic. Finally, the outcomes of the study may enrich the depth of COVID-19 literature globally. Originality/value This study is the first study highlighting factors such as fear, PSU and PSE toward EI in COVID-19 second wave.

scholarly journals Knowledge of dental academics about the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-country online survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Ammar ◽  
Nourhan M. Aly ◽  
Morenike O. Folayan ◽  
Simin Z. Mohebbi ◽  
Sameh Attia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Global Pandemic

Abstract Background COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting all aspects of life in all countries. We assessed COVID-19 knowledge and associated factors among dental academics in 26 countries. Methods We invited dental academics to participate in a cross-sectional, multi-country, online survey from March to April 2020. The survey collected data on knowledge of COVID-19 regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, protection, and dental treatment precautions as well as participants’ background variables. Multilevel linear models were used to assess the association between dental academics’ knowledge of COVID-19 and individual level (personal and professional) and country-level (number of COVID-19 cases/ million population) factors accounting for random variation among countries. Results Two thousand forty-five academics participated in the survey (response rate 14.3%, with 54.7% female and 67% younger than 46 years of age). The mean (SD) knowledge percent score was 73.2 (11.2) %, and the score of knowledge of symptoms was significantly lower than the score of knowledge of diagnostic methods (53.1 and 85.4%, P <  0.0001). Knowledge score was significantly higher among those living with a partner/spouse than among those living alone (regression coefficient (B) = 0.48); higher among those with PhD degrees than among those with Bachelor of Dental Science degrees (B = 0.48); higher among those seeing 21 to 30 patients daily than among those seeing no patients (B = 0.65); and higher among those from countries with a higher number of COVID-19 cases/million population (B = 0.0007). Conclusions Dental academics had poorer knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms than of COVID-19 diagnostic methods. Living arrangements, academic degrees, patient load, and magnitude of the epidemic in the country were associated with COVD-19 knowledge among dental academics. Training of dental academics on COVID-19 can be designed using these findings to recruit those with the greatest need.

scholarly journals Public’s view on myths related to COVID-19: a web-based cross-sectional study in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Deeependra Prasad Sarraf ◽  
Shashi Keswhar ◽  
Pramendra Prasad Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Study Participants

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The global pandemic COVID-19 has created havoc. Various myths prevail among public that hamper them from adopting evidence based preventive measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to seek timely health advice. The aim of the study was to find out the public’s view on myths related to COVID-19 in educated Nepalese population.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional web-based online survey was conducted in educated public in Nepal during May, 2020. A self-designed questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic variables and 21 myths was prepared using Google forms via docs.google.com/forms. The responses were recorded on a 3-point scale (agree, disagree, do not know). The Google form link was sent to the study participants via the social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber. Descriptive statistics mean, frequency and percentage were used to analyze the data using SPSS version 22.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Out of 270, 33.7%, 33.3% and 37% participants agreed that eating lemon, turmeric and garlic prevents us from COVID-19 respectively. Thirty seven percent participants believed that spraying bleach or disinfectant into our body will protect us against COVID-19. The overall view of participants toward the myths related to COVID-19 was ‘agree’ (17.3%), ‘disagree’ (59.2%) and ‘don’t know’ (23.5%).</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Myths regarding COVID-19 prevailed among majority of the participants in this study. There is an urgent need to educate the public regarding various preventive approaches for COVID-19 issues. Media and government agencies have a vital role in creating awareness to adopt evidence-based facts.</p>

scholarly journals Effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine in preventing infection in dental practitioners: results of a cross-sectional questionnaire based survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
Susmita Saxena ◽  
Mansi Atri ◽  
Sunil Kumar Chamola
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Dental Practitioners ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Group A ◽  
Second Wave

India started its vaccination program at the beginning of 2021, the main beneficiaries being health workers and frontline workers including police, paramilitary forces, sanitation workers, and disaster management volunteers in the first phase. By the time, the second wave of Covid-19 impacted India, approximately 14 million healthcare and frontline workers, including dentists had been vaccinated. Aim: To study the effectiveness of vaccination on a subset of high-risk healthcare workers i.e. dentists in preventing Covid-19 during the second wave of the pandemic. Study design: A questionnaire based pan-India online survey was carried out to record the Covid-related experiences of dentists prior to and after vaccination. Result: During the second wave, 9.18% (n=364) respondents became positive in spite of the vaccine, while 14.69%(n=78) became positive in the unvaccinated group. A chi-square test of independence was performed to examine the relation between vaccination and the Covid positivity rate in all age groups. The relation between these variables was highly significant, [X2 (1, N = 4493) = 15.9809, p=.000064]. Conclusion: Our pan-India online survey inferred that vaccination has a definitive role to play in reducing the positivity rate amongst dentists during the second wave of the pandemic across all age groups.

scholarly journals Role of community-based measures in adherence to self-protective behaviors during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79
Author(s):  
Asma Ayyed AL-Shammary ◽  
Sehar un-Nisa Hassan ◽  
Aqeela Zahra ◽  
Fahad Bin Zafir Algahtani ◽  
Shadi Suleiman
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Second Wave

Background: The expected second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has started in various regions of the world. Public health experts warned that it could be as lethal as the first wave if people did not comply with self-protective measures. Currently, there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between peoples’ assessment of the effectiveness of community-based measures regarding adherence to self-protective behaviors for COVID-19 prevention and control. This study aimed to assess the role of the perceived effectiveness of community-based measures in adherence to self-protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The cross-sectional online survey conducted from March 24 to June 22, 2020. The study sample Included 400 participants (49% male and 51% female) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The outcome measure was compliance to four self-protective behaviors i.e., "social distancing;" "wearing facemask;" "washing hands more frequently;" and "disinfecting surfaces in homes." We computed Chi-square statistics and odds ratios (ORs) using 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The findings demonstrated that participants aged 25–34 years old were 25% less likely to comply with hand hygiene (OR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.33–0.95) and social distancing (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.34–0.98). Misconceptions related to COVID-19 significantly decreased compliance with self-protective behaviors by up to 27%. Participants who rated government decisions as useful were approximately 1.7 times more likely to comply with self-protective behaviors. Conclusion: Community-based measures should focus on engaging segments of the population That are currently less compliant. Health education policies should also focus on enhancing the perceived sense of control and personal responsibility and reduce anxiety levels. A continuous commitment to the implementation of preventive interventions and the clarification of misconceptions are required to combat the expected second wave.

scholarly journals Measuring Italian Citizens’ Engagement in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guendalina Graffigna ◽  
Serena Barello ◽  
Mariarosaria Savarese ◽  
Lorenzo Palamenghi ◽  
Greta Castellini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Perceived Susceptibility ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Severity Of The Disease

AbstractBackgroundIn January 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started to spread in Italy. The Italian government adopted urgent measures to hold its spread. Enforcing compliance to such measures is crucial in order to enhance their effectiveness. Engaging citizens in the COVID-19 preventive process is today urgent in Italy and around the world. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the role of health engagement in predicting citizens’ compliance to health emergency containment measures.MethodAn online survey was administered between February 28th and March 4th 2020 on a representative sample of 1000 Italians. The questionnaire included a measure of Health Engagement (PHE-S) and a series of ad hoc items intended to measure both affective and behavioral responses of the citizens to the emergency in terms of perceived susceptibility to and severity of the disease, orientation towards health management, change in habits and in purchases. To investigate the relationship between Health Engagement and these variables, a series of ANOVAs, Logistic regressions and crosstabs have been carried out.ResultsLess engaged people show higher levels of perceived susceptibility to the virus and of severity of the disease; they trust less scientific and healthcare authorities, they feel less self-effective in managing their own health - both in normal conditions and under stress - and are less prone to cooperate with healthcare professionals. Low levels of Health Engagement are also associated with a change in the usual purchase behavior.ConclusionsThe Patient Health Engagement Model (PHE) provides a useful framework for understanding how people will respond to health threats such as pandemics. Therefore, intervention studies should focus on particular groups and on raising their levels of engagement to increase the effectiveness of educational initiatives devoted to promote preventive behaviors.

scholarly journals Knowledge of Dental Academics about the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Online Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Ammar ◽  
Nourhan M. Aly ◽  
Morenike O. Folayan ◽  
Simin Z. Mohebbi ◽  
Sameh Attia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Dental Treatment ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Multilevel Linear Models

Abstract Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting all aspects of life in all countries. We assessed COVID-19 knowledge and associated factors among dental academics in various countries. Method: We invited dental academics to participate in a cross-sectional, multi-country, online survey from March to April 2020. The survey assessed knowledge of COVID-19 regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, protection, and dental treatment precautions as well as participants’ background variables. The analysis was based on multilevel linear models to assess the association between knowledge and factors at individual levels (personal and professional) and country-level (number of COVID-19 cases/ million population), accounting for random variation among countries. Results: Two thousand forty-five academics from 26 countries participated in the survey (response rate= 14.3%, with 54.7% female and 67% younger than 46 years of age). The mean (SD) knowledge percent score was 73.2% (11.2), and the knowledge of symptoms score was significantly lower than the diagnostic methods score (53.1% and 85.4%). Knowledge was significantly higher among those living with partner/spouse than those living alone (regression coefficient (B)= 0.48); those with PhD than those with BDS (B= 0.48), those seeing 21 to 30 patients daily than those seeing no patients (B= 0.65) and those from countries with a higher number of COVID-19 cases/million population (B= 0.0007). Conclusions: Dental academics had poorer knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms than diagnostic methods. Living arrangements, academic degrees, patient load, and magnitude of epidemic in the country were associated with COVD-19 knowledge among dental academics. COVID-19 training can be designed using these factors to target academics with the greatest need.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON PUBLIC HEALTH DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC: LESSONS LEARNED FOR DESIGNING EFFECTIVE CONTAINMENT MEASURES TO COPE WITH SECOND WAVE

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Coccia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Fatality Rate ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

AbstractWhat is hardly known in the studies of the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis is the impact of general lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic both public health and economic system. The main goal of this study is a comparative analysis of some European countries with a longer and shorter period of national lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 from March to August 2020. Findings suggests that: a) countries with shorter period of lockdown have a variation of confirmed cases/population (%) higher than countries with longer period of lockdown; b) countries with shorter period of lockdown have average fatality rate (5.45%) lower than countries with longer period of lockdown (12.70%), whereas variation of fatality rate from August to March 2020 suggests a higher reduction in countries with longer period of lockdown (−1.9% vs 0.72%). However, Independent Samples Test and the Mann-Whitney test reveal that the effectiveness of longer period of lockdown versus shorter one on public health is not significant. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic associated with longer period of lockdown has a higher negative impact on economic growth with consequential social issues in countries. Results of the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on public health and economies of some leading countries in Europe, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, can provide vital information to design effective containment strategies in future waves of this pandemic to minimize the negative effects in society.

Online survey of covid-19 among residents of Plateau State, Nigeria: an assessment of knowledge, perception and prevention practices (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simji Samuel Gomerep ◽  
Chundung Asabe Miner ◽  
Daniel Jatau Meshak ◽  
Solomon Chuwang Chollom ◽  
Kim Jerry Bot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
The State ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Plateau State ◽  
High Level

BACKGROUND The global pandemic of COVID-19 has continued to spread across the world due to its highly infectious nature. Its control as of present is dependent on measures that involve banning of large gatherings, physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough hygiene and restrictions of movement. This requires that the general public is made aware of these strategies and adheres to them strictly. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to generate information on the knowledge base, perception, and prevalent practices in Plateau State of Nigeria. METHODS It was a cross-sectional survey in which responses were obtained through an online platform from adult residents of the State. Knowledge, perceptions and prevention practices of COVID-19 were assessed and analysed using Microsoft Excel and Epi-Info 7.2.3.1 at a significance level of p < 0.05 RESULTS Responses were obtained from 732 participants. Sixteen out of the 17 local government areas of the state were captured. The age group 21-50 year made up 85% of the respondents and all had some level of education. The mean level of knowledge was 24.5 ± 3.9 and was significantly associated with age and level of education. Perceptions and practices were however not commensurate with the high level of knowledge. CONCLUSIONS There is a need to increase awareness efforts to fill knowledge gaps and dispel some misconceptions and there is a need for a reciprocal improvement by the residents to adapt the practices that are needed to ensure that the disease is brought under control.

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