top of page
Research Article

      Abstract    

        

HOME

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF MEDICAL STUDENTS TOWARDS COVID-19: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF PANDEMIC IN INDIA

 

F Fazal, MLJ Pais, RG D’Silva, NM Geevarghese, S Suresh, MS Baliga, RP Jakribettu

 

ABSTRACT: Background: Presently, the COVID 19 has made its presence all over the world. Since, there is no definitive cure available, prevention is the only mode to control the increase of the disease. Thus, this study was undertaken to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of medical students towards COVID19 in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Methods: An online questionnaire was circulated among the medical students using the Google form. The questionnaire contained questions regarding the demographic details, attitude and knowledge of the students to be assessed. The response was typed in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 and data represented as frequency (n) and percentage (%). Results: A total of 321 responses were received from medical students, majority were female (199, 62%), nearly 50% were from Final (Clinical) phase. More than 10% of the students believed that the pandemic will last for more than 1 year. Most of the students were aware of the methods to prevent COVID 19 while most were unsure whether antibiotics (76%), hydroxychloroquine (47%), herbal drugs (97%) useful in prevention of COVID 19.  Conclusion: The medical students were aware of the pathogenesis of COVID and IPC practices to be followed to prevent its spread. But they were not sure about the appropriate medication for the disease, which was not clear even to specialist, during the period which the study was undertaken.

KEYWORD: COVID 19, Medical students, Knowledge, attitude, online

REFERENCES:

  1. Carlos WG, Dela Cruz CS, Cao B, Pasnick S, Jamil S. Novel Wuhan (2019-nCoV) Coronavirus. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020; 201, 4: 7-8.

  2. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020; 382, 8: 727-733. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001017.

  3. Shigemura J, Ursano R J, Morganstein J C, Kurosawa M, Benedek D M. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV)in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 2020; 74, 4: 281-282.

  4. Lai CC, Shih TP, Ko WC, Tang HJ, Hsueh PR. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19): the epidemic and the challenges. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2020; 55, 3:105924.

  5. Biscayart C, Angeleri P, Lloveras S, Chaves TDSS, Schlagenhauf P, Rodríguez-Morales AJ. The next big threat to global health? 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV): What advice can we give to travellers? - Interim recommendations January 2020, from the Latin-American society for Travel Medicine (SLAMVI). Travel Med Infect Dis 2020; 33: 101567.

  6. Bai Y, Yao L, Wei T, Tian T, Tian F, Jin D-Y, Chen L, Wang M. Presumed Asymptomatic Carrier Transmission of COVID-19. JAMA 2020; 323, 14:1406–1407.

  7. Li Y C, Bai W Z , &Hashikawa T. The neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV2 may play a role in the respiratory failure of COVID-19 patients. Journal of Medical Virology 2020

  8. Cascella M, Rajnik M, Aleem A, Duleboln S C , Napoli R D. Features, Evaluation and Treatment Coronavirus (COVID-19), [Updated 2022 Jan 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. 

  9. Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, Ren L, Zhao J, Hu Y, Zhang L, Fan G, Xu J, Gu X, Cheng Z, Yu T, Xia J, Wei Y, Wu W, Xie X, Yin W, Li H, Liu M, Xiao Y, Gao H, Guo L, Xie J, Wang G, Jiang R, Gao Z, Jin Q, Wang J, Cao Bin. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel corona virus in Wuhan, China. Lancet 2020; 395, 10223:497-506.

  10. CDC. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 2020. [Online]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html [Accessed on 1st March 2020].

  11. Sameer A, Mohammad B, Mansour A, Abdulrahman A. Knowledge and attitude of dental health professionals about Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent 2018; 8: 137-144.

  12. Abdullah A, Allen C. Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of healthcare workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to MERS coronavirus and other emerging infectious diseases. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2016; 13: 1214.

  13. Deng JF, Olowokure B, Kaydos-Daniels SC, Chang HJ, Barwick RS, Lee ML, Deng CY, Factor SH, Chiang CE, Maloney SA; SARS International Field Team. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): knowledge, attitudes, practices and sources of information among physicians answering a SARS fever hotline service. Public Health 2006; 120,1:15-9.

  14. Kim JS, Choi JS. Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception among nursing students during outbreak. J Clin Nurs 2016;25(17-18):2542-9.

  15. Zhong B L, Luo W, Li H M, Zhang Q Q, Liu X G, Li W T & Li Y.  Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Chinese residents during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 outbreak: a quick online cross-sectional survey. International journal of biological sciences. 2020; 16,10:, 1745–1752.

  16. Kartheek A S, Gara K H, Vanamali D R. Knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 among Indian residents during the pandemic: A cross-sectional online survey. J NTR Univ Health Sci 2020;9:107-15.

  17. Cowling B J, Ali ST, Ng TWY, Tsang T K , Li J C M, Fong M W, Liao Q, Kwan M YW, Lee S L, Chiu S S, Wu J T,Wu P, Leung G M. Impact assessment of non‑pharmaceutical interventions against corona virus disease 2019 and influenza in Hong Kong: An observational study. Lancet Public Health 2020;5:e279-88.

  18. Zhong B L, Luo W, Li H M, Zhang Q Q, Liu X G, Li W T, Li Y. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Chinese residents during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 outbreak: a quick online cross-sectional survey. International journal of biological sciences 2020; 16, 10: 1745–1752.

 To cite this article:

Fazal F, Pais MLJ, D’Silva RG, Geevarghese NM, Suresh S, Baliga MS, JakribettuRP. Knowledge and attitudes of medical students towards covid-19: a cross-sectional study during the early stages of pandemic in india. Int. J. Med. Lab. Res. 2022; 7,1:20-27. http://doi.org/10.35503/IJMLR.2022.73

bottom of page