Knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 pandemic among keralites and the barriers involved-an online web survey

ABSTRACT

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has triggered panic attacks as its deadly footprint had transmitted across the globe. Although Kerala became the first Indian state to encounter COVID-19, it had notched up the best recovery rates and low mortality rates. Objective: To investigate the level of knowledge and perception of the Keralites about COVID-19 and to explore the barriers involved to curb its transmission. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in Keralites during April and May, 2020 to obtain the responses regarding the knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 based on a standardized questionnaire. Chi-Square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's one-tailed test were employed in statistical data analysis using Graph pad prism. Results: The overall correct rate on knowledge assessment was 59.2%. Chi-Square test exhibited a noteworthy association between the different levels of knowledge and demographic characteristics (P < 0.0001). Kruskal-Wallis test analyzed the variation of different levels of knowledge with districts (P < 0.0018). High knowledge was the vital predictor for the low mortality and best recovery rate as analyzed by Spearman's one-tailed test (alpha level < 0.5, P = 0.0297). Conclusion: Exploring deeper insights and the latest updates on COVID-19 will pave for eradicating the barriers faced while managing the crisis. We concluded that the Keralites demonstrated good knowledge, optimistic attitude and safer practices towards COVID-19 and its subsequent lockdown period.