Dataset Information

Public awareness in Egypt about COVID-19 spread in the early phase of the pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate public awareness in Egypt related to the coronavirus.

Methods

An online structured survey was conducted during March and April 2020 to assess coronavirus knowledge. The questionnaire was divided into 6 parts consisting of 39 questions for a total possible score of 0 to 39; to assess the participants' general knowledge [10 items]; symptoms knowledge [2 items]; transmission knowledge [6 items]; preventive knowledge [4 items]; treatment knowledge [6 items], and public knowledge of governmental and international efforts [10 items].

Results

A total of 726 participants participated, 97.5% of them knew the main clinical symptoms of coronaviruses. 99% believed that following the etiquette of coughing, sneezing, or wearing a medical mask is important to reduce infection transmission. 80.5% of the participants believed that there is no effective treatment or vaccine available for the coronavirus. The important role of the international organizations to overcome the coronavirus was known by (92.3%). 65.2% believed that the Ministry of Health provided reliable data on the number of infections or death. 27.9% of the participants consider coronavirus infection as a stigma. The average score of this survey was 31.75/39 (81.4%) regarding the knowledge about the disease.

Conclusion

Overall, the study participants' had good knowledge of coronavirus and the international efforts to confront the coronavirus.

Practice implications

Further study is required to evaluate the effect of such good knowledge on decreasing the infection rate.

SUBMITTER: Elgendy MO

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7833955 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Public awareness in Egypt about COVID-19 spread in the early phase of the pandemic.

Elgendy Marwa O MO El-Gendy Ahmed O AO Abdelrahim Mohamed E A MEA

Patient education and counseling 20200905

<h4>Objective</h4>This study aimed to evaluate public awareness in Egypt related to the coronavirus.<h4>Methods</h4>An online structured survey was conducted during March and April 2020 to assess coronavirus knowledge. The questionnaire was divided into 6 parts consisting of 39 questions for a total possible score of 0 to 39; to assess the participants' general knowledge [10 items]; symptoms knowledge [2 items]; transmission knowledge [6 items]; preventive knowledge [4 items]; treatment knowledg ...[more]

PMID: 32912808

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Project description:BackgroundFood labeling is an important public health tool allowing consumers to make informed and healthy choices. Considering how important it is for consumers to be aware of food labels while choosing healthy foods, this study aims at assessing public awareness, attitude, and practice regarding food labeling in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.MethodsA cross sectional study using a predesigned interview questionnaire to collect data from 719 adult consumers from both sexes (28.2% males: 71.8% females), recruited from different branches of one of the largest supermarkets in Alexandria.ResultsMore than half of the participants (55.6%) reported reading food labels. The most frequently read information was production/ expiry date (76.8%), product name (68.3%), and ingredients (38.0%) while the least frequently read was nutritional facts (29.9%). More than half of the study sample (50.9%) had low awareness about the content of food labels, nevertheless, having higher scores on awareness about food labels predicted reading practice. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents had average to good food label reading practice. Most respondents (81.8%) had a favorable attitude about food labeling in its present form, however, higher attitude scores did not seem to influence their use of food labels. Being older (β = 0.045, CI; 0.014-0.076, p = 0.005), being female (β = 1.162, CI; 0.541-1.784, p = 0.000), having secondary education or equivalent (β = 1.042,CI; 0.050-2.034, p = 0.040), having university education or beyond (β = 3.090, CI; 2.132-4.048, p = 0.000), and having higher scores on awareness about food labels (β = 1.407, CI; 1.324-1.490, p = 0.000) were significant predictors of reading food labels.ConclusionsMost of the studied consumers had a positive attitude towards food labeling, however, more than half of them had low awareness of food labeling content. Nutritional facts were the least frequently read by consumers. Reading food labels was significantly predicted by having higher education, being older, being a female, and having better awareness.

Project description:With >1 400 species, bats comprise the second-largest order of mammals and provide critical ecological services as insect consumers, pollinators, and seed dispersers. Yet, bats are frequently associated with infectious human diseases such as SARS, MERS, and Ebola. As early as the end of January 2020, several virological studies have suggested bats as a probable origin for SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. How does the public view the role of bats in COVID-19? Here we report pilot data collected shortly after the outbreak of COVID-19 using two online surveys, combined with a conservation intervention experiment, primarily on people who are receiving or have received higher education in China. We found that 84% of the participants of an online survey (n = 13 589) have misunderstood the relationship between bats and COVID-19, which strengthened negative attitudes towards bats. Knowledge of bats, gender, and education level of the participants affected their attitudes towards bats. Participants who indicated a better knowledge of bats had a more positive attitude towards bats. The proportion of female participants who had negative attitudes towards bats was higher than that of male participants. Participants with a higher education level indicated a more positive attitude towards bats after the outbreak of COVID-19. A specially prepared bat conservation lecture improved peoples' knowledge of bats and the positive attitudes, but failed to correct the misconception that bats transmit SARS-CoV-2 to humans directly. We suggest that the way virologists frame the association of bats with diseases, the countless frequently inaccurate media coverages, and the natural perceptual bias of bats carrying and transmitting diseases to humans contributed to the misunderstandings. This probably led to a rise in the events of evicting bats from dwellings and structures by humans and the legislative proposal for culling disease-relevant wildlife in China. A better understanding of the relationship between disease, wildlife and human health could help guide the public and policymakers in an improved program for bat conservation.

Dataset Information

Public awareness in Egypt about COVID-19 spread in the early phase of the pandemic.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Practice implications

Publications

Public awareness in Egypt about COVID-19 spread in the early phase of the pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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