Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards COVID-19 Pandemic among Egyptian Citizens: A Descriptive Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58395/pipd.v48i3.49Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2, Egypt, Pandemic, COVID-19, SurveyAbstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been transmitted rapidly worldwide and is recognized as a main threat to human health in 2020. The best methods to prevent its spread are to know about it and act accordingly.
Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices to respond to COVID-19 among a sample of Egyptian citizens.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional online survey was conducted on 501 Egyptian citizens during the early phase of the epidemic.
Results: The study included 501 participants. Females account for 49.9% (n=250) .Most of the
participants (n=380, 75.8%) were between 21- 40 years old. of Transmission modes were recognized by 96% (n=481). The signs and symptoms were identified by 90.8% (n=455). About 91% (n=453) knew that all ages were liable to get infected with COVID-19 and 96% (n=481) knew that the elderly were more prone to develop severe disease. Almost all of the participants (99%, n=494) claimed that they kept hand washing, while only 56.7% mentioned regular use of hand antiseptics. Avoiding contact with symptomatic persons was reported by 97.6% (n=490) and 91.6% (n=459) said they were putting on face masks in crowded places. The concept of remote work was accepted by 89.4% (n=448) and 97.6% (n=489) believed that preventive measures could reduce the risk of catching the infection. Almost all the participants (98.4%, n= 493) would like to know more about the disease.
Conclusion: Most of the studied sample of Egyptian citizens were knowledgeable about COVID-19, positive in their attitudes, and have appropriate practices regarding COVID-19 pandemic. However, these observations should be generalized with caution due to the limited size of the sample, and the representativeness of low socioeconomic citizens.
Recommendations: Health education programs should be implemented among Egyptian citizens to maintain appropriate and updated knowledge and practices and keep positive attitudes towards COVID-19.
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