Sicilians' knowledge, perceptions, prevention and practices during the pandemic in relation to vaccination: A questionnaire-based survey.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has influenced Sicily, Italy as any other part of the world, and people had various types of reactions to this global epidemic. This study aimed to assess the behavior, perception, and willingness of the Sicilian population to accept vaccination, as well as their attitudes toward conspiracy theories, which have been a concern for governments around the globe. METHODS: Study design: cross sectional-descriptive study. The data were collected through a survey developed based on a protocol from the World Health Organization's regional office in Europe, which was distributed in two waves. The first wave took place in April and May 2020, and a modified survey was distributed during June and July. RESULTS: Sicilians showed a very good knowledge of the virus, while their positive attitude has changed toward vaccination in the second wave. Furthermore, Sicilians showed an average trust in the governmental institutions, which allow the doubts of conspiracy to exist in the population. CONCLUSIONS: Although the results indicate a good level of knowledge and positive attitude toward vaccination, we believe that further studies should be conducted in the Mediterranean to better understand how to face future epidemics with limited resources in the healthcare system, as compared with other countries.

Early perception, behavior, knowledge, and preventive practices related to COVID-19 among Palestinians.

It is necessary to understand early perception, behavior, and knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and preventive practices in relation to suggested policies and information accessible to the Palestinian population during the early stages of the pandemic. The aim of this research is to contribute to this understanding for the purpose of affecting future practical preventive policies that can be implemented and adapted in Palestine in order to shape a new reflective practices model to face any future epidemic crisis of any type. A cross-sectional design was used to conduct the study over 3 weeks in April 2020 and an online survey was disseminated in all areas of Palestine. A total of 1040 responses were collected from persons who were over 18 years of age. A high level of knowledge related to COVID-19 was found, including symptoms and characteristics of the virus, prevention practices, and at-risk groups. Respondents believe that they are more susceptible to influenza than COVID-19 and more likely to be infected by the influenza virus than the COVID-19 virus but expect that infection of influenza would be less severe than infection of COVID-19. Respondents were more inclined to find COVID-19 worrying and stressful than they were to find it fear-inducing. Around two-thirds of respondents believe that different types of COVID-19-related conspiracy theories are true to some degree. Going forward, it is crucial and essential to provide basic awareness among large populations around diseases, which can contribute to positively influencing people's knowledge and attitudes and their perception toward such diseases and combat conspiracy theories.

Knowledge, Perceptions, and Prevention Practices among Palestinian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire-Based Survey.

The purpose of this study is to offer a timely understanding of university students' knowledge, perception, and preventative practices related to COVID-19 in Palestine and to determine affecting factors (gender, region, and type of locality). A cross-sectional design was used and data was collected over 2 weeks in April 2020 through an online survey. A total of 484 surveys were collected from students from different Palestinian universities. Participants showed high levels of knowledge across multiple topics (symptoms and characteristics of COVID-19, prevention practices, and at-risk groups), although respondents were less likely to indicate mask wearing as an effective prevention practice compared to other practices, and almost one-third reported incorrectly that taking antibiotics is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. Respondents reported the most trust in the Ministry of Health as a source of information, and the least trust in social media. A generally high level of acceptance of government regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic was found. Given the current global situation and the second wave of infections in Palestine, plans should be in place to disseminate correct information and combat newly-emerging rumors and misinformation through channels that are trusted by the university student population.

Essential Care Needs for Patients' Family Members at the Intensive Care Units in Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the needs of families of hospital patients, especially those in intensive care units is key to providing comprehensive, effective support. The aim of this study is to determine the needs of families of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients in four Palestinian hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, analytic study including 240 participants selected using convenience sampling. Data was obtained from participants from September 2016 to April 2018. The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) was distributed to examine their needs. Descriptive analysis, t-tests, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were conducted to analyze relationships between demographic characteristics of respondents and their needs. Differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed that the assurance domain was the most important, but participants had some unmet needs from the support domain. Parents reported higher levels of importance of all needs than other types of relatives of patients. In addition, participants with a higher level of education reported a significantly higher level of importance in the dimensions of assurance (F3,236= 2.85, p = 0.038), proximity (F3,236= 4.36, p = 0.006), and support (F3,236= 4.13, p = 0.007). Also, married participants had a higher need for all dimensions. Family members of patients who stayed more than 7 days had higher needs for support (F2,237= 3.39, p = 0.035) and comfort (F2,237= 3.92, p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Family members of ICU patients have certain unmet needs, which require attention from healthcare professionals and administration in Palestinian hospitals. In addition, sociodemographic variables influence family member needs.