Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Assessment on COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review Protocol (preprint)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 30 January 2020. We aim to systematically review the tool used for the assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) on Covid-19 infection. Methods: We will conduct a systematic review of knowledge, attitude, and practice assessment on COVID-19 infection. The search will cover the period December 2019 to January 2021. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Study quality will be assessed using the STROBE checklist for a cross-sectional study. Data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. The numerical outcome will be analysed using mean and standard deviation. The categorical outcome will be analysed using absolute number and percentage. The range number of items, reliability, and validity of each domain will be assessed descriptively. Discussion: This systematic review of KAP measurement tools will provide a detailed summary of the existing tools used to assess the KAP levels towards COVID-19 and its’ reliability and validity in different settings and populations. Also, the review will provide evidence on the importance of the reliability and validity of the assessment tools in ensuring quality data from future research. Systematic Review Registration: International Platform of Registered Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY), number INPLASY202150039

COVID-19 review: an epidemiological perspective and Malaysian scenario in handling the pandemic (January - May 2020)

The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought much fear and anxiety worldwide due to the rapid transmission rate and mortality. The exponential surge of COVID- 19 cases need to be addressed aggressively to flatten the epidemic curve. This review aims to describe the COVID-19 disease epidemiology and disease transmission, response actions taken by the authorities to control this pandemic and risk communication strategies in Malaysia. A literature search via the ScienceDirect and Google Scholar databases of published articles and official statements from the Ministry of Health, Malaysia from December 2019 to May 2020 was conducted. The first wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia started in late January involving 22 cases but the second wave involved more cases due to the massive religious gathering that occurred in late February. Malaysia implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18^th March 2020 and other well-coordinated response action plans to prevent community transmission. The reproduction number (R₀) was successfully reduced from 3.6 to 0.3 due to the MCO. Malaysia's risk communication strategies that include daily press conference by the Director General of Health and dissemination of information through national television and social media, played a crucial role in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. In conclusion, effective response actions and mitigation plans, should be the main priorities to combat this pandemic. The immediate direction will need to be focused on development of vaccines for COVID-19. Future research should study the origin of the virus in animals and the role of comorbidities contributing to poorer prognosis.