COVID-19 KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS: A STEP FOR CONTROL PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC INVASION IN MALAKAND REGION, PAKISTAN
Main Article Content
Keywords
COVID-2019, Control measurements, Community involvement, Global health importance, Preventive measurements
Abstract
Background: Prior to invasion of the pandemic it was necessary to aware the people about the hazardousness and prevention of the diseases.
Aims: Knowledge and awareness of the general masses towards the prevention of COVID- 2019 were evaluated before the invasion of the pandemic in the region.
Methodology: The respondents participated in urban and rural areas voluntarily. The responses of the respondents were calculated as frequencies and percentages in both areas. The association of the respondents was tested by the Chi-Square test. P value less than 0.05% at 95% CI was considered significant.
Results: A total of 330 (n=199 urban and 131=rural) participants were included. The results revealed that practices for control had a significant association with ensuring social distancing; washing hands regularly with soap or sanitizers; avoiding touching mouth, eyes, and nose by covering nose and mouth with tissue paper during coughing or sneezing; disposing of tissue paper after use it; avoid routine activities and quarantining when infected /or suspected (P< 0.0001). Sources of information were also significantly related (0.0023). The novel coronavirus pandemic 2019 has spread globally. The people, religious scholars, leaders, and government agencies should organize programs for prevention and control, hence, the chances of the spread of COVID-19 were increasing.
Conclusions: It was concluded that this study will help in mobilization of local people and motivating local leadership with the active involvement of governmental and non-governmental organizations for the control of CoVID-19 on time.
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Wali Khan
Department of Zoology, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan
Aziz Ur Rahman
Department of Pharmacy, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan
Zainab Qazi
Department of psychology, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan
Shah Zeb
Department of Medicine, Mardan Medical Complex Mardan, Pakistan
Waheed Ali Panhwar
Department of Zoology, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Pakistan
Fouzia Naseer
Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-Pakistan
Yousef Abdal Jalil Fadladdin
King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Mashael Abdullah Aldamigh
Department of Biology, College of Science in Zulfi, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
Rizwan Ullah
Department of Zoology, University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan