Covid-19 One Year on: Exposure to Infection, Covid-related Functional Difficulties and Concerns Among Medical Students From a Malaysian Medical School

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced revolutionary changes in the delivery of medical education and imposed much stress on medical students and academicians. This study aimed at evaluating the level of exposure to COVID-19, COVID-related functional difficulties and concerns experienced by medical students, approximately one year after COVID-19 became significant health and socio-economic issues in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using self-administered online questionnaire, was conducted among the undergraduate medical students of a private university in Malaysia. Results: A total of 243 medical students participated. They reported low level of exposure to COVID-19 infection. Majority of them demonstrate moderate level of difficulties in learning (median score of 3, highest score = 4) and high levels of COVID-related concerns (median scores of 4 to 5, highest score = 5). Lowest household income category was a significant predictor of high level of functional difficulties (OR = 3.878, 95%CI 1.651, 9.110); whilst female gender was a significant predictor of high level of COVID-related concerns (OR = 7.400, 95%CI 1.920, 28.514). Conclusion: One year following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, medical students still reported significant functional difficulties in learning and demonstrated high levels of COVID-related concern. Collaborative efforts to mitigate the problems need to be intensified with emphasis on the delivery of online medical education and special attention to female and lower socio-economic group students to prevent detrimental consequences to medical students and medical education. Multi-center and longitudinal studies are recommended.