Introduction
Pandemic had great influence in shaping human society and politics throughout the world.Throughout the course of history, disease outbreaks have ravaged humanity, sometimes changing the course of history and, at times, signaling the end of entire civilizations.1
Widespread trade created new opportunities for human and animal interactions that sped up such pandemic. From the earliest times to the present, pandemics have affected human history in myriad ways: demographically, culturally, politically, financially, and biologically.2
Malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox, and others first appeared during the early years. As humans have spread across the world, so have infectious diseases. Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant though not every outbreak reaches pandemic level as the newly emerged Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).2
The novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 flu pandemic. It was first reported in Wuhan, China, and subsequently spread worldwide. This virus is the seventh member of the coronavirus family to infect humans. 3
The World Health Organization (WHO) temporarily termed the new virus 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on 12 January 2020 and then officially named this infectious disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on 12 February 2020. 4
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization. Most common symptoms include fever, dry cough, tiredness. 5
India has witnessed many outbreaks since the 1990s such as SARS outbreak, swine flu outbreak, etc. but none of the outbreak was as widespread and as fatal as COVID-19.5
India reported the first confirmed case of the coronavirus infection on 30 January 2020 in the state of Kerala. The affected had a travel history from Wuhan, China.5
The investigator while working the COVID 19 patient perceived that general people has less knowledge regarding coronavirus and its prevention. Hence it motivated to conduct the study among general public regarding knowledge of coronavirus.
Methodology
The research methodology includes the strategies to be used to collect and analyze the data to accomplish the research objectives. The present study was carried out to assess the knowledge regarding COVID 19 among general public.
In the view of the nature of the study, the investigator has adopted the non-experimental research approach. Keeping in view the objectives research design selected for the study was “Descriptive survey design”. The tool was prepared and circulated to participant purposely through Google forms one participant was allowed to response only once as they were to enter their email id for this and can not edit their responses after submission. the survey form was opened for two days only and after that the form was disabled for responses.
Tool Discription
The study aimed to assess the knowledge regarding COVID 19 among general public following data collection tool was constructed to obtain data.
The followings tools were developed:
Dear Responded
We are carrying out an academic study to assess the knowledge regarding COVID 19.
Provide your honest and unbiased opinions for the questions. All your information will be kept confidential.
You share your consent by submitting the form.
Note: If you fill this form with your mobile phone, please rotate it horizontally to make it easier to read.
Thank you for your participation
Dr.Arun Kumar Jindal
Mr.Niju Joy
Research tool 1: Demographic Profile
1. Email address *
2. Age (in years) *
3. Gender *
i. Male
ii. Female
4. Educational Status *
i. Diploma
ii. Under Graduate
iii. Post Graduate
iv. P.hD
v. Other
5. Occupation *
i. Student
ii. Unemployed
iii. Self Employed
iv. Private Sector
v. Government Sector
vi. Retired
vii. Other
6. Source of Information regarding Corona Virus *
i. Social Media
ii. Print Media
iii. Visual Media( Television)
iv. Friends/ Relatives
v. Health care professional (Doctors, Nurses etc)
vi. Official Channel (Government agencies, Health department)
vii. Not Ever Heard Of Coronavirus
7. Are you presently suffering with any health problem *
i. Yes
ii. No
iii. Maybe
Research tool 2: Knowledge questionnaire regarding COVID 19
Please click the appropriate options. Provide the honest and unbiased opinions for the questions.
1. What is virus *
a. It is microscopic infectious agent replicates only inside the living cells.
b. Nucleic acids enclosed in the protein coats
c. It is core of genetic material either DNA or RNA.
d. All of the above
2. COVID 19 stands for *
a. Corona viral disease 2019
b. Corona virus disease 2019
c. Corona Virus infection disease 2019
d. Corona virus influenza disease
3. Which country the first case of corona virus disease was identified *
a. India
b. Singapore
c. Australia
d. China
4. When did World Health Organization announced the corona virus as pandemic *
a. 11th January 2020
b. 11th February 2020
c. 11th March 2020
d. 11th April 2020
5. Who announced the official name of corona virus "COVID 19" *
a. International committee on taxonomy of virus
b. World Health Organization
c. UNICEF
d. None of the above
e. Other:
6. Corona virus is which kind of communicable disease *
a. Parasitic
b. Sporadic
c. Zoonotic
d. Vector Borne
7. Incubation Period of Corona virus disease *
a. 04 days
b. 02-07 days
c. 01 day
d. 07-14 days
8. Which of the following are similar to corona virus but differ in genetic sequences *
a. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)
b. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
c. Influenza
d. All of the above
9. The corona virus causes *
a. Respiratory Infection
b. Blood cancer
c. Tuberculosis
d. Heart attack
10. Which group is MOST susceptible to be infected from Corona Virus *
a. Elderly
b. Pre existiong disease patient
c. Immunocompromised patient
d. All of the above
11. How many type of corona virus are detected till date *
a. 07 type
b. 11 type
c. 05 type
d. 01 type
12. What are the clinical manifestation of COVID 19 *
a. Only headache and fatigue
b. Diarrhea and Fever
c. Fatigue, High fever, shortness of breath, Cough (yellow or green mucus)
d. Sore Throat
13. Which specimen should be collected for diagnosis of corona virus disease *
a. Fecal Specimen
b. Urine Specimen
c. Blood Specimen
d. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab
14. How much social distance is required to prevent corona virus infection *
a. Not required
b. 06 feet
c. 10 feet
d. 01 feet
15. How infection transmitted in the corona virus *
a. Direct contact between infected person to healthy person
b. contact with infected surface
c. Inhalation of droplets generated by coughing or sneezing from an infected person
d. all of the above
16. What are the precaution needed to be taken to protect from coronvirus *
a. Vist your doctor for treatment
b. Wash your hands frequently
c. Cover your mouth while sneezing
d. all of the above
17. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for *
a. Everyone in the society
b. Person or health personnel who come in contact with the coronvirus infected person
c. Patient or any person with respiratory disease symptoms
d. None of the above
18. How many steps are involved while performing handwashing *
a. 10 steps
b. 06 steps
c. 07 steps
d. 11 steps
19. When you're washing your hands (very important!) - how long should you do it for? *
a. 20-30 seconds
b. 40- 60 seconds
c. 20 minutes
d. 05 minutes
20. Name a clinical trial in which blood is transfused from recovered COVID-19 patients to a coronavirus patient who is in critical condition *
a. Plasma therapy
b. Hydroxychloriquine
c. Remdesivir
d. None of the above
21. What is quarantine *
a. It is a punishment given to victims
b. Strict isolation imposed to prevent spread of disease
c. It is a rest to person from work
d. Providing healthy lifestyle and diet to the person
Analysis and interpretation
Table 1
Frequency and percentage distribution of general public based on demographic data N=78
Data presented in Table 1 depicts that the majority 82.1% of general public who participated in survey were female and 17.9% were male.
With regard to educational status 52.6 % of general public had undergraduate as their educational status, 30.8% had post graduate level of education whereas 9% had diploma, 3.8% had P.hD , 2.6% was pursuing undergraduation and only 1.3% were pursuing postgraduation.
With regard to occupation majority of the general public who participated in the survey were student comprising of 65.4% , 3.8% were unemployed, 17% were self employed, 11.5% worked in government sector and 1.3% were retired.
With regard to source of information regarding corona virus 35.9% had heard it from social media, 32.1 % from visual media, 15.4 % got information from health workers, 12.8% from official channel of government and 3.8% got from print media.
Majority of responded 96.2 % were not suffering from any health problem and 2.6% among them were suffering from health problems and 1.3% believed to be suffering from health problem in future
Table 2
Frequency and percentage distribution of knowledge scores of general public regarding COVID 19. N=78
|
Level of Knowledge |
Range of Score |
Frequency (f) |
Percentage (%) |
|
Good |
17-21 |
21 |
27 % |
|
Average |
12-16 |
53 |
68 % |
|
Poor |
1-11 |
04 |
05% |
|
Minimum score- 0 |
|
|
Maximum score - 21 |
The data presented in the Table 3 reveals that 68% of the generalpublic had average knowledge regarding COVID 19 and 27% had good knowledge and only 05% had poor knoeledge regarding COVID 19.
Article DOI
