ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The objective was to evaluate ophthalmologists' KAP toward the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the period of the global outbreak of COVID-19, between April 8 and April 18, 2020. A sample of 120 ophthalmologists was chosen by a stratified method. The online survey was used to obtain information about respondents' KAP toward COVID-19. RESULTS: The study participants included 120 ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists under training out of the targeted 163 ophthalmologists who were invited to participate, giving a response rate of 73.6%. Ophthalmology residents represent 40.8%, whereas consultants represent 32.5% of them. Nearly 40.8% of the participants were aged between 31 and 40 years. Overall, the percentage of COVID-19 knowledge score ranged between 56% and 100% with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 80% (76%-88%). Overall, the percentage score of attitude toward COVID-19 ranged between 13.3% and 100% with a median (IQR) of 73.3% (46.7%-88.0%). Although the safety precaution attitude toward COVID-19 was highest among ophthalmologists aged over 50 years, the difference did not reach a statistical significance. Other studied factors were not significantly associated with the score of percentage of attitude toward COVID-19. CONCLUSION: KAP among ophthalmologists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia toward COVID-19 are optimal. However, health education campaigns are needed to reinforce the current KAP and improve the level of understanding of the risks and prevention measures that, in turn, improve the confidence of ophthalmologists to provide the right care to their patients and protect themselves as well.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Ophthalmologists/statistics & numerical data , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Educational Status , Female , Health Promotion , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Saudi Arabia/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Several coronaviruses can infect humans, and the globally endemic human coronaviruses, HCoV-229E (human coronavirus 229E), HCoV-NL63 (human coronavirus NL63), and others, tend to cause mild respiratory diseases. The zoonotic Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type1 (SARS-CoV-1) have high fatality rates. In December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified by Chinese authorities about an outbreak of pneumonia before the causative organism was identified in January 2020 as a novel coronavirus family. The WHO refers to the virus as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Within several weeks, the outbreak has become an emergency, and many countries have since been affected. The method of transmission is not yet fully known but is thought to be mainly respiratory. Healthcare providers, particularly ophthalmologists, are at high risk of a COVID-19 infection through unprotected contact with eye secretions during routine ophthalmic examinations that involve the use of direct ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp examinations, which are usually performed in a setting that allows for close doctor-patient contact. In light of these, specific measures are needed from an ophthalmic point of view to control the COVID-19 outbreak and to protect health care providers.