Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Factors Influencing Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine among Traders at Edaiken Market, Uselu, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vaccination is a criticaltool in the battle against COVID-19, and a public health necessity in combating the pandemic. Challenges in getting the public to accept the vaccine may be due to vaccine hesitancy which may be caused by poor knowledge, poor attitude, ethical issues and safety concerns. The study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and factors affecting the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine among traders at Edaiken market, Uselu, Benin City, Edo State. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 400 traders using multistage sampling technique in Benin City, Edo State. A forty-one-item questionnaire was utilized to collect data. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 25.0 and quantitative variables were expressed as frequencies, proportions, means and standard deviation. Level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: A higher proportion (35.2%) of respondents were aged between 20 - 29 years of age and almost three-quarters (74.0%) were females, while 48.7% were married. Almost one-third, 30% of the respondents had good knowledge of COVID-19 and 375 (93.8%) had poor knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccine. One-fifth (20.8%) of respondents had a positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine and 90 (22.5%) respondents did not know where to get the vaccine. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines was poor among the respondents, with most of them displaying a negative attitude to the vaccine. Knowledge of locations for obtaining vaccines was reported as a factor that would influence vaccine uptake. We recommend campaigns by public health authorities aimed at sensitizing the public about availability and importance of COVID-19 vaccine.

CONTEXTE ET OBJECTIFS: Les vaccins sont un outil essentiel dans la lutte contre le COVID-19 et une nécessité de santé publique dans la lutte contre la pandémie. Les difficultés à faire accepter le vaccin au public peuvent être dues à une hésitation à l'égard du vaccin et cela peut être causé par une mauvaise connaissance, une mauvaise attitude et des problèmes éthiques de sécurité. L'étude visait à évaluer les connaissances, l'attitude et les facteurs affectant l'acceptabilité du vaccin COVID-19 parmi les commerçants du marché d'Edaiken, Uselu, Benin City, Edo State. METHODES: Il s'agissait d'une étude transversale descriptive menée auprès de 400 commerçants à l'aide d'une technique d'échantillonnage à plusieurs degrés à Benin City, dans l'État d'Edo. Un questionnaire de quarante et un éléments a été utilisé pour collecter les données. Les données ont été analysées avec IBM SPSS version 25.0 et les variables quantitatives ont été exprimées en fréquence, pourcentages, moyenne et écart type. RESULTATS: Une proportion plus élevée (35,2 %) des répondants étaient âgés de 20 à 29 ans et près des trois quarts (74,0 %) étaient des femmes tandis que 48,7 % étaient mariés. Près d'un tiers, 30% des répondants avaient une bonne connaissance du COVID-19 et 375 (93,8 %) avaient une mauvaise connaissance du vaccin COVID-19. Un cinquième (20,8%) des répondants avaient une attitude positive envers le vaccin COVID-19 et 90 (22,5 %) des répondants ne savaient pas où se procurer le vaccin. CONCLUSION: La connaissance des vaccins COVID-19 était faible parmi les répondants, la plupart des répondants affichant une attitude négative à l'égard du vaccin. La connaissance des lieux d'obtention des vaccins a été signalée comme un facteur susceptible d'influencer l'adoption des vaccins. Nous recommandons des campagnes par les autorités de santé publique visant à sensibiliser le public à la disponibilité et à l'importance du vaccin COVID-19. Mots-clés: Adoption du vaccin, acceptabilité du vaccin, vaccins contre la COVID-19, connaissances, attitude, facteurs influençant l'adoption du vaccin.

Arterial Oxygen Saturation and other Clinical Predictors of Survival in Patients with Covid-19: A Review of Cases in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: We assessed clinical parameters in patients confirmed to have COVID-19 in relation to arterial hypoxaemia and survival. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective chart review of patients who were confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus by Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing. Data extracted from patients' case files included patient demographics, presenting symptoms, provisional diagnoses, and outcomes of hospitalisation. Descriptive variables were summarized; proportions were compared using Chi-square tests, and independent predictors of mortality were assessed using multivariate regression analysis. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: There were a total of 61 patients with positive RT-PCR testing: mean age ± SD (minimum - maximum) was 53.0 ± 18.5 (5 months - 90) years. Persons aged 60 years and above were the largest group (n=24, 39.3%). More than half were male (n=35, 57.4%); about 43% had one morbidity; 41.0% had at least two co-morbidities. The mean (SD) arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was 86.9% ± 16.7. Patients who were clinically dyspnoeic at presentation, and who had co-morbidities were significantly more hypoxaemic (p = 0.026 and 0.04, respectively). Significantly more patients who had normal oxygen saturation at presentation survived (p = 0.006). None of these variables was an independent predictor of mortality, however. CONCLUSION: Arterial hypoxaemia was significantly associated with dyspnoea and underlying disease, and normal oxygen saturation at presentation was significantly associated with survival. Hospital managers and clinicians may thus prioritize routine pulse oximetry, supplemental oxygen therapy and management of co-morbidities in the COVID-19 fight.