Assessment of COVID-19 prevention practice and associated factors in Jimma town, Ethiopia: A mixed study.

Background: COVID-19 has affected the mental and physical wellbeing, social structure, countries' economy as well as individuals and community resilience, trust, and inequalities among societies. However, now almost all of the activities have been returned to the pre-corona era, despite the emergence of new strains and the spread of the disease. Hence, this study was conducted to assess COVID-19 prevention practice and the associated factors. Materials and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study triangulated with the qualitative findings was conducted in Jimma town, Oromia, Ethiopia. A total of 422 sample households were involved in the quantitative study. The quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire and 12 key informants were also interviewed for the qualitative part. The quantitative data were processed and entered into the Epi Data version 4.6 (software) and analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Similarly, the qualitative data were analyzed using ATLASti.7.1.04 software package. Descriptive statistics and binary logistics regression (p < 0.25) were conducted to identify the candidate variable for multivariable logistics regression analysis (p < 0.05) and a 95% confidence interval was used to establish the level of significance of the variables with the practice. Results: Interviews were conducted with a total of 422 participants, yielding a response rate of 100%. Good preventive practices were found to be adopted by 13.3% of the respondents. People aged ≥ 50 years, [AOR = 2.85, 95%, CI = 1.246-0.53] who recovered from COVID-19, [AOR = 2.41, 95%, CI = 1.184-0.92], had chronic diseases [AOR = 3.70, 95%, CI = 1.887-0.25], and living with COVID-19 high risk [AOR = 2.96, 95%, CI = 1.475-0.991 were independently associated with good preventive practices. Conclusion: In this study, it was understood that there were poor COVID-19 preventive practices among the study participants. There was a disparity in adherence to the preventive practices in relation to (i.e., 50 and above years) the experience of contracting COVID-19 and people aged above 65 years old living with the high-risk group. In addition, the community had different misconceptions or risk perceptions related to COVID-19 infection and preventive practices. This highlights the need to design health education programs and implement risk and/or social and behavior change communication interventions to change perceptions or misconceptions of people or community members to bring about the desired behavioral change and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Amelioration of Nephrotoxicity in Mice Induced by Antituberculosis Drugs Using Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman Corm Extract.

Background: Antituberculosis drugs are antimicrobial agents important for treating a communicable disease called tuberculosis. Despite their importance, antituberculosis drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin have severe adverse effects like nephrotoxicity with acute renal failures. Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman is a nutritional herbaceous perennial plant, and it has indigenous ethnomedicinal values for the society. This study aimed to evaluate the protective role of the Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman corm extract (EVCE) against nephrotoxicity induced by isoniazid and rifampicin in mice. Methods: The present study was conducted on thirty Swiss albino mice randomly allocated into five groups. Group-I (only distilled water), Group-II (only isoniazid 75 mg/kg and rifampicin150 mg/kg), Group-III (isoniazid and rifampicin along with 200 mg/kg EVCE), Group-IV (isoniazid and rifampicin along with 400 mg/kg EVCE), and Group-V (isoniazid and rifampicin along with silymarin) were treated for thirty days. At the end of the study, the experimental animals were sacrificed after being injected with anesthetic drug, blood was drawn for a kidney function test, and the kidney was also taken from each experimental animal for histopathological evaluation. Data were entered and analyzed by using one-way ANOVA of SPSS version 25. Results and Conclusion. Serum levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid of the Group-II mice were significantly (P < 0.01) elevated, and serum levels of total proteins and albumin of Group-II mice were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased as compared to Group-I. The group of mice treated with an EVCE reinstated those derangements. The kidney section of Group-II mice showed an abnormality in kidney structure; however, these deformities were not detectable in group-IV mice. The EVCE has sufficient nephroprotective potential against antituberculosis drug-induced kidney injury.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman Extract against Isoniazid and Rifampicin Induced Hepatotoxicity in Swiss Albino Mice.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the cumbersome health-related problems which render approximately 50% of liver failure and patients to receiving liver transplantation every year. Antituberculosis drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin are potentially rendering hepatotoxicity. Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman is an herbaceous perennial plant that contributes to the indigenous ethnomedicinal values for the society. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman extracts against isoniazid and rifampicin induced hepatotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. The study was conducted on 30 Swiss albino mice randomly allocated into five groups. Group I, group II, group III, group IV, and group V were the groups in which mice were given distilled water, only isoniazid and rifampicin, isoniazid and rifampicin along with 200 mg/kg corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman extract, isoniazid and rifampicin along with 400 mg/kg corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman extract, and isoniazid and rifampicin along with silymarin per oral per day, respectively. On the 30th day of the experiment, mice were sacrificed after anesthetized, and blood was drawn for the liver function test, and the liver was also taken from each experimental mouse for histopathological evaluation. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 subsequently exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis by using one-way ANOVA. Plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TBIL) of group II mice were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated as compared to group I. The group of mice treated with a corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman at a dose of 400 mg/kg (group IV) and silymarin100 mg/kg (group V) showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in ALT, AST, ALP, and TBIL as compared to the group II. The liver section of group II showed a change in liver architecture; however, these deformities were not noticed in group IV mice. The result showed corm of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman extract has a very promising hepatoprotective potential against isoniazid and rifampicin induced liver injury.