Dataset Information

Assessment of health awareness and knowledge toward SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 vaccines among residents of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Public awareness regarding COVID-19 plays an important role in controlling the virus' spread and treating infected people. A high level of awareness among the public will help to implement preventive measures, particularly in the most populated regions, such as Makkah, Saudi Arabia. COVID-19 is an infectious disease and the Saudi Arabian government has taken serious precautions and implemented several preventive measures. In addition, The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched many awareness campaigns and provided COVID-19 vaccines for free.

The objectives

To assess the Public's level of health awareness and knowledge toward SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 vaccines among residents of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Makkah region from February 23 to March 2, 2021. The questionnaire was generated using a Google form and distributed online through social platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp. The questionnaire consisted of five sections and six hundred participants have answered and completed all questions. Then, All data were imported into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the statistical tools SAS version 9.4 and SPSS version 25 software.

Results

A total of 600 participants from the Makkah region were found to have a high level of awareness and knowledge about all aspects of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease. For example, all participants considered coronavirus to be contagious, and 89.8% of them knew that COVID-19's symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu. Most respondents showed a high level of awareness regarding the main factors of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Over 98.7% of respondents were aware of the role of gatherings and events in further spread of the virus. The participants showed a good level of awareness about other preventive measures, such as maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask. However, the respondents considered COVID-19 vaccines to be effective, but some of them were not aware of their side effects, and 38.8% planned to receive a vaccine.

Conclusion

The residents of Makkah showed a high level of awareness about these aspects; an excellent awareness level was noted for SARS-CoV-2, means of transmission, disease symptoms and prevention of viral spread. On the other hand, the participants had less knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccines; hence, more effort is required to educate people about the safety and benefits of the vaccines.

SUBMITTER: Alrefaei AF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8675145 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundMobile phones have become part of everyday life with a potential risk for microbial transmission. Makkah is a mass gathering city that may act as hotspots of disease transmission. The contact between public and both visitors and pilgrims to Makkah can't be overlooked, and any small outbreak within the public can be transmitted rapidly to them.AimWe aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of general population towards infection transmission via mobile phones in Makkah and different characteristics relevant to KAP scores.MethodsA cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted on general population in Makkah city using a snowballing sampling method. Participants answered questions about their KAP towards infection transmission via mobile phone. The overall KAP scores were graded as good, fair, and poor and explored against different population characteristics using suitable statistical methods.ResultsThe study included 385 participants aged 15-64 years. About 88.8% owned personal mobile phone, 3.9% encountering a patient with infections transmitted via mobile phones, and 60.5% know nothing about potential role of mobile phones in infection transmission. Only 16.6% had good knowledge, 64.1% with positive attitudes, and 55.3% reported poor practices. The mean knowledge score was significantly higher among young adults (p = 0.002) and those with higher education (p = 0.005). Their mean attitude and practice scores were significantly higher among older adults (p < 0.001 and p = 0.015), female (p = 0.001 and p = 0.022), and those with higher education (p = 0.036 and p = 0.041) respectively.ConclusionThe overall public knowledge and practices towards the role of mobile phones in infection transmission in Makkah was below average though they have positive attitudes. Raising public awareness is important to decrease the possibility of cross-contamination via mobile phones and to develop adequate preventive strategies in a mass gathering setting like Makkah city.