Occupational exposure to Covid-19 in Latin American Healthcare Workers, May 2020

Abstract Introduction. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which not only poses a great challenge, but is setting a precedent for the medical community. In this situation, it is suggested that all personnel who are exposed to occupational risks - specifically biological risk - will use the necessary personal and collective protection equipment provided by the institution or company for which they work. Workers in areas and jobs at high risk of infection can be stigmatized and discriminated, leading to their exclusion from the community and their increased exposure to violence and harassment. Objective. Analyze the occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in health personnel in Latin America in May, 2020. Methods and materials. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional and prospective study was carried out; a non-probabilistic sample of 713 volunteers participated. An online questionnaire of 30 closed questions was applied. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel 2019, using frequency analysis and central tendency measurements. The Helsinki bioethics recommendations were considered. Results and discussion. Health workers from 13 Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, from 7 professions in the health sector, participated. The personal and labor/institutional risk factors and repercussions on the personnel were detailed. Conclusions. The implementation and strengthening of policies and strategies is suggested to provide the necessary equipment to workers and improve the institutional response in order to avoid burnout in the staff, due to overload of work and extreme work hours, in order to mitigate the psychological impact that is being suffered.

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COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS ANNOUNCEMENT

International Journal of Advanced Research ◽

10.21474/ijar01/12855 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 424-431

Author(s):

M. Yamoul ◽

◽

I. Hanine ◽

F. Laboudi ◽

A. Ouanass ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care Physicians ◽

Current Practice ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Diagnostic Process ◽

Specific Training ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Treatment Side Effects ◽

Quantitative Descriptive

Introduction: Physicians find it difficult to announce the diagnosis of Covid-19 and often resort to the advice of a psychiatrist. This is due to the fear of the patients reaction and the negative psychological impact that the announcement would cause, the poorly known evolution of this pathology and to the lack of training regarding Covid-19 diagnosis announcement practices. The purpose of our study is trying to better understand the current practice and the difficulties encountered during the Covid-19 diagnosis announcement as well as evaluating the patients general reactions. Material and Methods: Quantitative, descriptive and analytical, cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire. Results: 114 physicians filled in our questionnaire. More than half of them had not received any training regarding Covid-19 dignosis announcement. 94.7% of the physicians believe that it is necessary to announce the diagnosis of Covid-19, most of them considering it as an asset in their disease management. The reluctance to announce a disease with a severe prognosis, along with the fear of negative social and therapeutic repercussions, would slow down clinicians in their practice. Although most clinicians provide a variety of information (clinical, therapeutic, prognostic, target symptoms, and treatment side effects), the majority of participants were satisfied with the information they provide to Covid+ patients. Conclusion: A framework for the diagnostic process, training dedicated to the announcement and the use of material aids should be considered in order to limit these difficulties and to support physicians in their practice. In this respect, primary care physicians are almost unanimous in their desire for specific training.

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COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 6076

Author(s):

Hasan S. Alamri ◽

Wesam F. Mousa ◽

Abdullah Algarni ◽

Shehata F. Megahid ◽

Ali Al Bshabshe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

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PERSEPSI DOKTER TERHADAP PERAN APOTEKER DALAM PELAYANAN KEFARMASIAN DI RUMAH SAKIT ROBERT WOLTER MONGISIDI MANADO

PHARMACON ◽

10.35799/pha.9.2020.30019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 357

Author(s):

Ni Nengah S. Indiyani ◽

Widya A. Lolo ◽

Gerald Rundengan

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Care ◽

Health Workers ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Health Sector ◽

Care Physician ◽

Data Collection Tool ◽

Average Value ◽

Quantitative Descriptive ◽

Physician Perception

ABSTRACTServices in the health sector are one of the services that are needed by the community, one of them is service in the field of pharmacy. The therapeutic process of a patient needs collaboration between the pharmacist, physician and other health workers. In some hospitals in Indonesia, they have not implementing all pharmaceutical care activities as regulated in Permenkes No. 72 of 2016. This studied aims to know the opinions and expectations of physician to the role of pharmacist in pharmaceutical care. This research was a quantitative descriptive study and data collection tool used was a questionnaire about the opinions and expectations given to 63 physician. Based on the research results obtained, it was known that the perception of physician tend to agree with an average value of 94,55% for the opinion and for the expectation of 91,78%. So that can be concluded that physician had good opinions and expectation to the role of pharmacists in accordance with Pharmaceutical Care Standards.Key words : Pharmaceutical Care, Physician Perception, Pharmacists.ABSTRAK Pelayanan dalam bidang kesehatan merupakan salah satu pelayanan yang banyak di butuhkan oleh masyarakat, salah satunya adalah pelayanan dalam bidang kefarmasian. Proses terapi seorang pasien perlu adanya kerjasama antara apoteker, dokter dan tenaga kesehatan lainnya. Pada beberapa rumah sakit di Indonesia belum melakukan seluruh kegiatan pelayanan farmasi sebagaimana yang sudah di atur dalam Permenkes No. 72 Tahun 2016. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pendapat dan harapan dokter terhadap peran apoteker dalam pelayanan kefarmasian. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif dan alat pengumpulan data yang digunakan berupa kuesioner tentang pendapat dan harapan yang diberikan kepada 63 dokter. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang diperoleh, diketahui bahwa persepsi dokter cenderung setuju dengan nilai rata-rata untuk pendapat sebesar 94,55% dan untuk harapan sebesar 91,78%. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa dokter memiliki pendapat dan harapan yang baik terhadap peran apoteker sesuai dengan Standar Pelayanan Kefarmasian. Kata kunci : Pelayanan Kefarmasian, Persepsi Dokter, Apoteker.

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Prevenção da infecção pelo zika vírus nas gestantes

Revista de Enfermagem UFPE on line ◽

10.5205/1981-8963-v11i12a22917p5339-5353-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 5339

Author(s):

Daiane Santos ◽

Mariana Alves Pimenta ◽

Flavio Bittencourt ◽

Murilo Cesar Nascimento ◽

Silvana Maria Coelho Leite Fava ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Health Workers ◽

Family Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Exact Test ◽

Quantitative Descriptive ◽

Virus Zika

RESUMOObjetivo: avaliar as competências dos ACS no desenvolvimento das atribuições esperadas e definidas pelo Ministério da Saúde nas ações de pré-natal de risco habitual, desenvolvidas no âmbito da ESF, em relação à prevenção da infecção pelo zika vírus na gestação. Método: estudo quantitativo, descritivo, transversal, com coleta de dados em 14 equipes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família, mediante um questionário com três partes: A (enfrentamento ao Aedes aegypti); B (pré-natal de baixo risco) e C (medidas de prevenção pessoal contra o Zika vírus), analisadas por agrupamentos e pelo Teste Exato de Fisher. Resultados: melhor desempenho foi observado em B, seguido de A. As maiores dificuldades estavam relacionadas com a atividade C. Conclusão: há um panorama favorável de atuação desses profissionais, embora com dificuldades quanto à alimentação dos sistemas de informação, à baixa participação comunitária e à pouca integração com o trabalho das equipes. Descritores: Enfermagem; Agente Comunitário de Saúde; Zika Vírus.ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the competences of the ACS in the development of the attributions expected and defined by the Ministry of Health in the habitual, risk prenatal actions, developed within the scope of the FHS, in relation to the prevention of infection by the zika virus during pregnancy. Method: quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study with data collection in 14 teams of the Family Health Strategy, through a questionnaire with three parts: A (coping with Aedes aegypti); B (low risk prenatal) and C (personal prevention measures against Zika virus), analyzed by clusters and Fisher's Exact Test. Results: better performance was observed in B, followed by A. The greatest difficulties were related to activity C. Conclusion: there is a favorable panorama of these professionals, although with difficulties in feeding information systems, low community participation and little integration with the work of the teams. Descritores: Nursing; Community Health Workers; Zika Virus.RESUMEN Objetivo: evaluar las competencias de los ACS en el desarrollo de las atribuciones esperadas y definidas por el Ministerio de Salud en las acciones de prenatal de riesgo habitual, desarrolladas en el marco de la ESF, en relación a la prevención de la infección por el zika virus en la gestación. Método: estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, transversal, con recolección de datos en 14 equipos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia, mediante un cuestionario con tres partes: A (enfrentamiento al Aedes aegypti); B (prenatal de bajo riesgo) y C (medidas de prevención personal contra el Zika virus), analizadas por agrupaciones y por la prueba exacta de Fisher. Resultados: mejor desempeño fue observado en B, seguido de A. Las mayores dificultades estaban relacionadas con la actividad C. Conclusión: hay un panorama favorable de actuación de estos profesionales, aunque con dificultades en cuanto a la alimentación de los sistemas de información, a la baja participación comunitaria y a la poca integración con el trabajo de los equipos. Descritores: Enfermería; Agentes Comunitarios de Salud; Vírus Zika.

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Perceptions about the implementation of physiotherapist prescribing in Australia: a national survey of Australian physiotherapists

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024991 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. e024991 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Timothy David Noblet ◽

John F Marriott ◽

Taryn Jones ◽

Catherine Dean ◽

Alison B Rushton

Keyword(s):

Absolute Risk ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Health Sector ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Cost Benefit ◽

Access To Medicines ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Australian Health ◽

Descriptive Survey

ObjectivesTo explore: (1) the views of Australian physiotherapists regarding potential implementation of non-medical prescribing in Australia, (2) how the geographical location and health sector in which a clinician works may influence their perceptions and (3) the perceptions of Australian physiotherapists about how physiotherapist prescribing might impact the care that the profession can provide.DesignA cross-sectional descriptive survey using open and closed questions.SettingParticipants completed an online questionnaire.Participants883 Australian Health Professionals Registration Authority (AHPRA)-registered physiotherapists, working across all states and territories.Outcome measuresAn online questionnaire was developed by a panel of subject experts and pretested (n=10) for internal consistency. A hyperlink to the questionnaire was emailed to all members of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. A reminder email was sent 4 weeks later. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, with use of absolute risk reductions (ARRs) and 95% CIs to determine the likelihood that health sector or geographical location were associated with specific views. Thematic analysis enabled synthesis of the qualitative data.Results79.0% participants felt that physiotherapist prescribing should be introduced in Australia, with 71.2% wanting to train as prescribers. Clinical governance, risk management, regulation of clinicians and the development of an education framework were identified as priorities for implementation. Participants working in the private sector were significantly more likely to train as prescribers than those in the public sector (ARR 9.9%; 95% CI 3.5 to 16.4) or educational/research institutions (ARR 23.3%; 95% CI 12.8 to 33.8), with city dwellers significantly more likely to train compared with physiotherapists in remote regions (ARR 19.8%; 95% CI 0.8 to 39.2). Physiotherapist prescribing was predicted to improve efficiency of healthcare delivery, access to medicines and reductions in healthcare costs.ConclusionsAHPRA-registered physiotherapists perceive that the introduction of autonomous physiotherapist prescribing would be beneficial for the Australian population and should be introduced. Decision makers should consider the results of this survey in conjunction with cost–benefit and risk analysis when planning the introduction of physiotherapist prescribing.

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Patients’ satisfaction with quality of care in general hospitals in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, using SERVQUAL theory

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/2050312120945129 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 205031212094512

Author(s):

MaryJoy Umoke ◽

Prince Christian Ifeanachor Umoke ◽

Ignatius O Nwimo ◽

Chioma Adaora Nwalieji ◽

Rosemary N Onwe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Care ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Sector ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Healthcare Facility ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Hospitals ◽

Patients Satisfaction

Background: Patient satisfaction is an essential parameter in the assessment of quality of care and healthcare facility performance. Objective: To investigate patients’ satisfaction with quality of care in general hospitals in Ebonyi State, South East, Nigeria, using the SERVQUAL. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed on a sample of 400 patients using a 27-item structured open-ended patients’ satisfaction questionnaire with a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Patients included in the study were those who must have come for an outpatient clinic within the period, be 18 years and above, and those who gave consent to participate. Of 400 questionnaires administered, 396 (99%) were retrieved. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, mean score ( x), and standard deviation, were employed for interpretation. Results: Out of 396 patients, 156 (39.4%) were male and 240 (60.6%) were females. Most patients were 18–39 years (233 (58.8%)), had secondary education (139 (35.1%)), married (221 (55.8%)), earned <18,000 (170(42.9%)), and were traders (136 (34.3%)). Patients were satisfied with tangibility (2.57 ± 0.99) and reliability (2.84 ± 0.95) and very satisfied with responsiveness (3.06 ± 0.63), assurance (3.07 ± 0.63), and empathy (3.12 ± 0.57). Conclusions: Patients were satisfied with the quality of care. However, satisfaction was highest with empathy and lowest with tangibility. Thus, managers should focus their quality improvement efforts on areas of the neat appearance of health workers, waiting facilities for attendants and patients, and hygienic conditions at the hospital. Also, biannual assessment of patients’ satisfaction should be done and the results generated use judiciously to provide a platform for health sector reform.

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Stigmatisation associated with COVID-19 in the general Colombian population

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764020972445 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002076402097244

Author(s):

Carlos Arturo Cassiani-Miranda ◽

Adalberto Campo-Arias ◽

Andrés Felipe Tirado-Otálvaro ◽

Luz Adriana Botero-Tobón ◽

Luz Dary Upegui-Arango ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Research Team ◽

Health Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Additional Problem ◽

The Difference ◽

High Level

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the fear of infection increases and, with it, the stigma-discrimination, which makes it an additional problem of the epidemic. However, studies about stigma associated with coronavirus are scarce worldwide. Aims: To determine the association between stigmatisation and fear of COVID-19 in the general population of Colombia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 1,687 adults between 18 and 76 years old ( M = 36.3; SD = 12.5), 41.1% health workers, filled out an online questionnaire on Stigma-Discrimination and the COVID-5 Fear Scale, adapted by the research team. Results: The proportion of high fear of COVID-19 was 34.1%; When comparing the affirmative answers to the questionnaire on stigma-discrimination towards COVID-19, it was found that the difference was significantly higher in the general population compared to health workers in most of the questions evaluated, which indicates a high level of stigmatisation in that group. An association between high fear of COVID-19 and stigma was evidenced in 63.6% of the questions in the questionnaire. Conclusion: Stigma-discrimination towards COVID-19 is frequent in the Colombian population and is associated with high levels of fear towards said disease, mainly people who are not health workers.

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Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Motivasi Kerja Tenaga di Bidang Kesehatan di Rumah Sakit (Risnakes 2017)

Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pelayanan Kesehatan ◽

10.22435/jpppk.v4i1.3079 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 23-30

Author(s):

Made Ayu Lely Suratri ◽

Vebby Amelia Edwin ◽

Galih Ajeng Kencana Ayu

Keyword(s):

Work Motivation ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Sector ◽

Easy Access ◽

P Value ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Population ◽

High Motivation ◽

Internal And External Factors

Abstrak Motivasi merupakan suatu proses psikologis pada diri seseorang yang dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor. Motivasi individu sangat dipengaruhi oleh faktor internal maupun eksternal. Tujuan dari analisis ini adalah untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan motivasi kerja tenaga di bidang kesehatan di rumah sakit.Desain penelitian potong lintang. Sampel penelitian adalah petugas kesehatan di rumah sakit pemerintah dan swasta di seluruh Indonesia, masing masing berjumlah 30 orang di 2.325 rumah sakit. Pengambilan data dengan cara wawancara dan pengisian kuesioner oleh responden. Analisis data menggunakan analisis Chi-square dan multivariat regresi logistik. Total 66.994 responden direkrut dan didapatkan hasil, proporsi yang tinggi untuk tenaga di bidang kesehatan dengan motivasi tinggi di rumah sakit umum, lebih besar daripada tenaga di bidang kesehatan yang bekerja di rumah sakit khusus, (p-value=0,049), dengan OR= 1,051(95% CI 1,001–1,103). Tenaga di bidang kesehatan yang bekerja di rumah sakit terakreditasi memiliki proporsi motivasi tinggi lebih besar daripada tenaga di bidang kesehatan yang bekerja di rumah sakit tidak terakreditasi, (p=0,0001), dengan OR= 1,122 (95% CI 1,079–1,167). Tenaga di bidang kesehatan yang memiliki akses ke rumah sakit yang mudah, memiliki proporsi motivasi tinggi yang lebih besar daripada yang memiliki akses yang sulit, (p=0,0001, dengan OR= 1,165 (95% CI 1,081–1,255). Waktu perjalanan tenaga di bidang kesehatan ke rumah sakit tidak bermakna dengan motivasi kerja (p = 0,582). Jenis rumah sakit, akreditasi rumah sakit, dan akses ke rumah sakit berhubungan dengan motivasi kerja dari tenaga di bidang kesehatan di rumah sakit. Kata kunci: rumah sakit, tenaga di bidang kesehatan, motivasi kerja Abstract Motivation is a psychological process in someone and is influenced by various factors. Those factors could be both internal and external factors. The purpose of this analysis is to find out the factors associated with the work motivation of employees in the health sector in the hospital. The study design was cross-sectional. The study population was employees in the health sector in government and private hospitals throughout Indonesia. Thirty employees in the health sector were selected from each hospital in 2.325 hospitals. Data was collected by interviewing respondents using a structured questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 66.994 respondents were interviewed. The results showed that employees in the health sector in general hospitals had a higher proportion of high motivation than health workers in special hospitals (p-value = 0.049), with OR = 1.051 (95% CI 1.0011.103). Those who worked in accredited hospitals had a higher proportion of high motivation than health workers in hospitals that were not accredited (p= 0.0001), with OR= 1.122 (95% CI 1.079-1.167). Employees in the health sector who had easy access to hospitals, had a greater proportion of high motivation than those with difficult access, (p= 0.0001), with OR= 1.165 (95% CI 1.081-1.255). Travel time to the hospital was not significantly associated with work motivation (p= 0.582). The type of hospital, hospital accreditation, and access to the hospital were associated with the work motivation of employees in the health sector in the hospital. Keywords: hospital, employees in the health sector, work motivation

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Screening of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Adolescent Victims of The Garut Flash Flood in 2016

NurseLine Journal ◽

10.19184/nlj.v6i1.17884 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Asy Syafa Mahfuzhah ◽

Efri Widianti ◽

Etika Emaliyawati

Keyword(s):

Junior High School ◽

Flash Flood ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Age Groups ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Quantitative Descriptive ◽

Adolescent Victims

The flash flood that occurred in the Garut Regency three years ago brought about devastating effects, one of which was the psychological impact in adolescents, namely PTSD. This study aims at detecting the presence of PTSD in adolescent victims of the flash flood that occurred in Garut, Indonesia three years ago. PTSD screening was conducted using the PTSD Checklist (PCL) questionnaire for 102 teenagers of the State Junior High-School (SMPN) 3 Tarogong Kidul who were victims of the flood and selected using a purposive sampling technique. This study used a quantitative descriptive method with cross-sectional approach. The results showed that three years after the Garut flash flood, a total of 80% of adolescent victims did not experience PTSD and 20 (20%) of the adolescents were identified having PTSD. The highest arising symptom responses were re-experiencing (90%) and hyperarousal (80%), which involve feeling intruded by memories of disasters and increased alertness. It is expected that nurses and experts can perform early and continuous screening for PTSD following a traumatic event, both in adolescents and other age groups to prevent another more severe impact.

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Health literacy and preparedness of health workers in the private health sector towards the COVID-19 pandemic: Need for integration into the nationwide response

Annals of African Medical Research ◽

10.4081/aamr.2020.145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ekaete Tobin ◽

Vivian Ajekweneh ◽

Andrew Obi ◽

Eshan Henshaw

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Sector ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Suspected Case ◽

Willingness To Participate ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Private Health Sector

The private health sector has the potential to participate in the COVID-19 pandemic response. The study aimed to assess the health literacy, perceptions, practices, willingness to participate and opportunities for engagement of the private health sector in the COVID-19 response. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among health workers in private health facilities in Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial districts of Edo state between May and June 2020. Data were collected using pre-tested questionnaires and analysis carried out using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Chi-square test of significance and logistic regression were applied at 5% cut off. A total of 153 health workers participated giving a response rate of 75.0%. Eighty-eight (57.5%) respondents had good knowledge of COVID-19 and 80 (52.3%) held negative perceptions towards COVID-19. Ninety-five (62.1%) respondents believed private health facilities had a role to play in the response particularly in the area of suspected case screening (85.4%). Thirty-one (20.3%) respondents indicated their willingness to participate in the COVID-19 response if their facilities were invited to. Sixty-one (39.9%) and 92 (60.1%) respondents respectively held poor and good practices towards COVID- 19 prevention, with practice significantly associated with educational level (χ2 = 14.10, P < 0.01), profession (χ2 = 15.28, P = 0.01). and previous training in infection prevention and control (IPC) (χ2 = 18.16, P < 0.01). The resources available from the private sector to support the response can be harnessed through engagements with medical directors and health workers in the sector to identify areas of collaboration, address identified gaps in knowledge, improve perception and participation.

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