A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward COVID-19 among Students and Staff in Asir, Saudi Arabia during the Second Wave of the Pandemic.

Being in a rapidly changing and dynamic environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals' perceptions change on a daily basis, and this starts to inform the status of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) during the second wave of the pandemic. AIM: To assess the KAP on COVID-19 among students, teaching staff, and administrative staff in the Asir region for the first time. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey cross-sectional study was conducted from 10 February to 10 March 2021 using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: In the survey of students and staff in educational institutes in the Asir region, the target population were well informed about COVID-19; in 10 out of 13 questions, more than 80% of the respondents answered correctly. The attitude of the target populations was quite positive. They were worried about the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The target populations were concerned (94.8%) for their kith and kin not to get infected. The target populations agree with the precautionary measures that were taken by Saudi authorities. A positive association was found between knowledge and practices as well as knowledge and attitudes of the target population. A significantly positive association was observed between attitudes and practices of the educational institutes' respondents in Asir, Saudi Arabia. CONCLUSION: The students and staff in educational institutes in the Asir region have a high level of knowledge about COVID-19, have a positive attitude toward it, take proper precautions against it, and are enthusiastic about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Survey.

Identifying the factors driving vaccine hesitancy can improve vaccine attitudes and motivate individuals to have the recommended vaccinations. However, failure to address the issue directly, or worse, ignoring it, could deepen such concerns, resulting in lower vaccination rates, leading to elevated rates of illness and vaccine-preventable deaths among older adults. The aim of this study was to explore the rate of acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among older adults in Saudi Arabia, along with the associated predicting factors and reasons for hesitancy. This study extracted data from a cross-sectional online survey on the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination in Saudi Arabia, which was conducted from 8 to 14 December 2020. The sample of the study included 488 older adults aged 50 and older. The major data analytic tools employed in the study were bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. Among the 488 participants, 214 (43.85%) reported willingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccine when available. Older men were more likely to be willing to be vaccinated (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.277; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.092-4.745) than older women. High levels of education were significantly associated with willingness to be vaccinated. Older adults who had previously refused any vaccine were less likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine (aOR: 0.358; 95% CI: 0.154-0.830). Those who expressed a high or very high level of concern related to becoming infected were more likely to accept the vaccine against COVID-19 (aOR: 4.437; 95% CI: 2.148-9.168). Adverse side effects (27.01%), and safety and efficacy concerns (22.63%) were the most commonly cited reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The vaccination acceptance rate among older adults in Saudi Arabia is low. Interventions designed specifically for older adults addressing worries and concerns related to the vaccine are of paramount importance. In particular, these interventions should be tailored to address gender-based and health literacy level differences.

Sero-prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers: A multicenter study from Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at a high risk for disease exposure. Given the limited availability of nucleic acid testing by PCR in low resource settings, serological assays can provide useful data on the proportion of HCWs who have recently or previously been infected. Therefore, in this study, we conducted an immunologic study to determine the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in two university hospitals in Egypt. METHODS: in this cross sectional study, HCWs who were working in SARS-CoV-2 Isolation Hospitals were interviewed. Estimating specific antibodies (IgM and IgG) against SARS-CoV-2 was carried out using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay targeting the Spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2 virus. RESULTS: Out of 111, 82 (74%) HCWs accepted to participate with a mean age of 31.5 ± 8.5 years. Anti-SARS-COV2 antibodies were detected in 38/82 (46.3%) of cases with a mean age of 31 years and female HCWs constituted 57.6% of cases. The highest rate of seropositivity was from the nurses (60.5%), and physicians (31.6%) with only (7.9%) technicians. Only 28/82 (34.1%) HCWs reported previous history of COVID19. We reported a statistically significant difference in the timing of exposure (p = 0.010) and the frequency of contact with COVID-19 cases (p = 0.040) between previously infected and on-infected HCWs. Longer time of recovery was reported from IgG positive HCWs (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: The high frequency of seropositive HCWs in investigated hospitals is alarming, especially among asymptomatic personnel. Confirmation of diseased HCWs (among seropositive ones) are warranted.

Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Egyptian healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy in general and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in particular. Understanding the factors driving the uncertainty regarding vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was designed to identify the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards COVID-19 vaccines and determine the predictive factors that affect their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. An online survey was distributed among HCWs to collect data assessing demographic and general characteristics of the participants and vaccine-related characteristics, including source of information about the vaccine. In addition to items assessing the perception of COVID-19, there were items on COVID-19 vaccines and attitude towards vaccination in general and towards COVID-19 vaccines in particular. RESULTS: The participants were classified according to their willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: hesitant (41.9%), refusing (32.1%), and willing (26%). Statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups for the perception of COVID-19 vaccines, attitude towards vaccination in general, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although the participants adequately perceived COVID-19 severity, prevention, and COVID-19 vaccine safety, they were widely hesitant or refused to be vaccinated. A multidimensional approach is required to increase the vaccine acceptability rate. Higher income and increased years of work experience are positive predictors of willingness to receive a vaccine. Thus, further studies addressing the scope of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are warranted as an initial step to build trust in COVID-19 vaccination efforts with continuous monitoring of attitudes and practices of HCWs towards COVID-19 vaccines in the future.

Knowledge, perception, and confidence of healthcare workers about COVID-19 preventive measures during the first wave of the pandemic: a cross-sectional study from Egypt.

INTRODUCTION: The ongoing coronavirus-disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic had a variable history with differences in its various stages. This study evaluates the status of knowledge, perception, and confidence about COVID-19 preventive measures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, in July 2020, in Egypt. An-online-based questionnaire was used to collect data. It included items to record demographic data, and an assessment of knowledge, the perception of healthcare facilities preparedness, and HCW confidence about applying infection prevention measures. RESULTS: A total of 465 responses were analyzed. HCWs' mean age was 36.76 ± 9.57 years, 94.2% (n=438) had an adequate level of knowledge, 31% (n=144) had an adequate perception level, and 39.4% (n=183) had an adequate confidence level. The main source of information was international organizations' websites 46.5% (n=216). The main barriers to applying preventive measures were the overcrowding of patient care areas 73.1% (n=339), and limited infection control supplies 68% (n=316). Factors associated with COVID-19 among HCWs were COVID-19 infected family members (OR: 5.86), inability to protect themselves and their families (OR: 5.73), uncertainty about the available hand hygiene supplies (OR: 3.76), male gender (OR: 3.07), and single HCWs (OR: 2.88). CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority reported an adequate knowledge level, lower rates of adequate perception and confidence were observed. Revision of preparedness plans in different facilities should be further studied. Psychological support and gender differences should be considered in response programs.

Characteristics and predicting factors of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare providers in a developing country.

A limited number of publications have identified risk factors for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Healthcare Providers (HCPs). We aimed to assess the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and the predicting factors related to COVID-19 among HCPs in Egypt. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs via an online questionnaire. Out of 440 responses, a total of 385 complete responses were analyzed. The responders' mean age was 37.5±9.4 years, 215 (55.8%) of the participants were males. They included 77 (20%) confirmed COVID-19 cases; most of them had mild (58.6%) or moderate symptoms (30%), and (9.1%) were asymptomatic. Almost all sustained infection while on duty (97.4%). The sources of infection were either infected patients (39%), colleagues (22.1%), household contacts (5.2%) or uncertain (33.8%). The sources were symptomatic in only 62.3% of cases. Asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic sources accounted for 37.7% of the cases. Exposure occurred during healthcare provision in 66.3% of the cases. The presence of co-morbidities (OR = 2.53, CI 1.47-4.38, P = 0.001), working more than 8 hours per day in isolation hospital (OR = 3.09, CI 1.02-9.35, P = 0.046), training on hand hygiene (OR = 2.31, CI 1.05-5.08, P = 0.038) and adherence to IPC measures (OR = 2.11, CI 1.16-3.81, P = 0.014) were the significant predictors of COVID-19. In conclusion, COVID-19 occurred in 20% of responders. Silent spread from asymptomatic or presymptomatic patients, and infected colleagues in hospital settings is an alarming sign. Proactive infection prevention and control measures are highly encouraged on both strategic and operational levels. Reconsideration of surveillance strategy and work-related regulations in healthcare settings are warranted.