In Bangladesh, an array of measures have been adopted to control the rapid spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Such general population control measures could significantly influence perception, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. Here, we assessed KAP towards COVID-19 immediately after the lock-down measures were implemented and during the rapid rise period of the outbreak. Online-based cross-sectional study conducted from March 29 to April 19, 2020, involving Bangladeshi residents aged 12-64 years, recruited via social media. After consenting, participants completed an online survey assessing socio-demographic variables, perception, and KAP towards COVID-19. Of the 2017 survey participants, 59.8% were male, the majority were students (71.2%), aged 21-30 years (57.9%), having a bachelor's degree (61.0%), having family income >30,000 BDT (50.0%), and living in urban areas (69.8). The survey revealed that 48.3% of participants had more accurate knowledge, 62.3% had more positive attitudes, and 55.1% had more frequent practices regarding COVID-19 prevention. Majority (96.7%) of the participants agreed 'COVID-19 is a dangerous disease', almost all (98.7%) participants wore a face mask in crowded places, 98.8% agreed to report a suspected case to health authorities, and 93.8% implemented washing hands with soap and water. In multiple logistic regression analyses, COVID-19 more accurate knowledge was associated with age and residence. Sociodemographic factors such as being older, higher education, employment, monthly family income >30,000 BDT, and having more frequent prevention practices were the more positive attitude factors. More frequent prevention practice factors were associated with female sex, older age, higher education, family income > 30,000 BDT, urban area residence, and having more positive attitudes. To improve KAP of general populations is crucial during the rapid rise period of a pandemic outbreak such as COVID-19. Therefore, development of effective health education programs that incorporate considerations of KAP-modifying factors is needed.

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Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh: An online-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Universal precautions are not well understood or implemented by health care practitioners, though crucial in the prevention and transmission of blood-borne pathogens like HIV. Objective: To assess knowledge, awareness and compliance of universal precautions among health care workers at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica. Results: Almost two-thirds (64.0%) of the respondents were very knowledgeable of uni- versal precautions with significantly more females (75.4%) than males (42.9%) (p<0.0001). More nurses (90.0%), medical doctors (88.0%) and medical technologists (70%) were very knowledgeable of universal precautions (p<0.0001). More respondents (92.9%) who were employed in the health sector for 16 years and over reported high levels of awareness of universal precautions than those who were employed for less than five years (p<0.0001). 28.6% of males and only 6.2% of females reported that they do not use protective gear. More nurses reported frequent use of protective equipment followed by medical technologists and medical doctors (p<0.0001). Conclusions: There was adequate knowledge and a fair level of awareness among medical doctors, medical technologists, and nurses towards universal precautions.

https://www.theijoem.com/ijoem/index.php/ijoem/article/download/43/121

Knowledge, Awareness and Compliance with Universal Precautions among Health Care Workers at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica

Health care professionals are constantly exposed to microorganisms. Many of which can cause serious or even lethal infections. Nurses in particular are often exposed to various infections during the course of carrying out their nursing activities. Therefore nurses should have sound knowledge and strict adherence to infection control practice. Aim of the study: The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and practice of infection control among nurses in governmental hospitals of Palestine Methods: A  cross sectional study was conducted between November, 2014 and January, 2015 in governmental hospitals found in North West bank districts. Data were collected using pre tested questionnaire on 271 nurses selected by  purposive sample. Collected data were checked, coded and transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Frequency, Mean and other statistics were calculated. P-value less than 0.05 were set as statistically significant. Results: the current study revealed that, approximately half (53.9%) of the studied sample had fair knowledge level (>80%). However, the majority (91.1%) of the studied sample had Good practice (>80%). No significant statistical differences were found between mean knowledge scores towards age, years of experience, and training course (f=2.263, 1.607, 0.210) respectively at p < 0.05(0.082, 0.188, 0.647) respectively. Significant statistical differences were found  between mean knowledge scores towards gender and qualification (F = 4.205, 4.531) respectively at p < 0.05 (0.041, 0.012 ) respectively. No significant statistical differences were found between mean practice scores towards age, years of experience, training course, and qualification(f=1.482, 2.625, 0.129, 0.727 ) respectively at p < 0.05(0.220, 0.051, 0.720, 0.484) respectively. Significant statistical differences were found in mean practice scores only in relation to gender, (F = 8.569) at p < 0.05 (0.004). Conclusion: Based on findings of the current study, it can be concluded that inspite of having good practice level regarding infection control, nurses had fair knowledge level. Recommendations: Updating knowledge and practice of nurses through continuing in-service educational programs; emphasizing the importance of following latest evidence-based practices of infection control in continuing education / training program; providing training programs for newly nurses about infection control and at regular intervals; and a replication of this study using observation checklist should be done to assess the level of practice. Keywords: Infection control, Knowledge, Practice, Nurse

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Knowledge and Practice of Nursing Staff towards Infection Control Measures in the Palestinian Hospitals.

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of various occupational hazards in the hospital, including exposure to blood borne infections such as Human Immuno -deficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infection from sharps injuries and contact with body fluids. Compliance on the part of Healthcare workers (HCWs) with standard precautions has been recognized as being an efficient means to prevent and control healthcare- associated infections.
Objective: To assess knowledge, awareness and compliance of universal precautions among health workers in north eastern Nigeria.
Method: This is a crossectional study conducted between March and August 2010. A 32- item self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist were used to obtain information from the health workers. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 and the level of significant was at p-value of < 0.05
Results: Less than one-fifth (13%) of the respondents have adequate knowledge of uni versal precautions with females (67.8%) better than the males (32.2%) (p< 0.05). Nurses (85.7%), midwifes (80.2%) and community health officers (69.8%) were very knowledgeable of universal precautions compared with other studied health workers. Those with ten years and above working experience had a high level of awareness of universal precautions than those with below five years (p< 0.05). Compliance with the use of sterile gloves, handling and disposal of needles and other sharp objects was higher than the knowledge of these procedures recorded (p < 0.05) especially among those with experience of ten years and above.

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Knowledge, awareness and compliance with standard precautions among health workers in north eastearn nigeria

Aims and objectives. To search for instruments to measure compliance with infection control practices and to report onwhich dimensions and contents the instruments evaluate, their psychometric characteristics, compliance and factors inﬂuenc-ing compliance.Background. Low compliance with infection control practices has been reported among healthcare professionals around theworld over the years. Existing data concerning health professionals’ compliance with standard precautions are based onmeasuring instruments.Design. Integrative review.Methods. The descriptors were identiﬁed and used separately and in combination to search in the following databases:Lilacs, PubMed (MEDLINE), ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and CINAHL. The selected articles complied with inclusionand exclusion criteria.Results. Twenty-three studies were analysed, resulting in the identiﬁcation of 18 instruments. No instrument addressed all com-pliance topics, and the most commonly addressed topics were the use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene and safepractices in the handling of cutting material. Most authors explored content validity and some performed reliability analysis bymeans of Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest. Countries in the sample have different human development indices, and countrieswith medium and low human development indices show less compliance. Some variables were strong predictors of compliance:training, perceptions of safe environment, perception of obstacles to comply with standard precautions and knowledge.Conclusions. Compliance is below the recommended levels. Health professionals seem to be selective in following standardprecautions. Signiﬁcant inﬂuences include institutional management and psychosocial variables, which deserve further study.Relevance to clinical practice. Health managers and government policies and interventions should pay greater attention tothis subject.Key words: compliance, healthcare worker, infection control, occupational health, review, standard precaution, universalprecaution

Instruments for evaluating compliance with infection control practices and factors that affect it: an integrative review

We conducted an assessment of knowledge about blood borne pathogens (BBP) and use of universal precautions at first level care facilities (FLCF) in two districts of Pakistan. We conducted a cross-sectional survey and selected three different types of FLCFs ; public, general practitioners and unqualified practitioners through stratified random sampling technique. At each facility, we interviewed a prescriber, a dispenser, and a housekeeper for knowledge of BBPs transmission and preventive practices, risk perception, and use of universal precautions. We performed multiple linear regression to assess the effect of knowledge score (11 items) on the practice of universal precautions score (4 items- use of gloves, gown, needle recapping, and HBV vaccination). We interviewed 239 subjects. Most of the participants 128 (53%) were recruited from general practitioners clinics and 166 (69.5%) of them were dispensers. Mean (SD) knowledge score was 3.8 (2.3) with median of 4. MBBS prescribers had the highest knowledge score while the housekeepers had the lowest. Mean universal precautions use score was 2.7 ± 2.1. Knowledge about mode of transmission and the work experience alone, significantly predicted universal precaution use in multiple linear regression model (adR2 = 0.093). Knowledge about mode of transmission of blood borne pathogens is very low. Use of universal precautions can improve with increase in knowledge.

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Mahreen Razaq

Papers

Poor knowledge – predictor of nonadherence to universal precautions for blood borne pathogens at first level care facilities in Pakistan