Assessment of the Public Knowledge and Attitude to the use of COVID-19 Preventive Protocols
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Abstract
The effectiveness of preventive measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic both in developed and developing countries round the world can be highly dependent on the knowledge, attitude and compliance of members of the society. This study assessed the knowledge and attitude of the general public towards the use of COVID-19 preventive protocols. A descriptive survey research design type was adopted for the study; while the snowball technique was used to select the sample for the study. A tool called "Knowledge and Attitude to COVID-19 Preventive Protocol (KAPPCOVID- 19)" was developed to collect data from the respondents. The KAPPCOVID-19 included ten items on knowledge; 12 items on the attitude of using the COVID-19 preventive protocol and their views on the government's efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Findings revealed that most of the populace exhibited good knowledge of COVID- 19, with a mean knowledge above 3.36 and this significantly enhanced their attitude towards the use of preventive protocols. Most of the respondents indicated positive attitudes toward adopting the preventive protocols, with a mean of 2.58. Recommendations were made in line with the study's findings; that more engaging public health education aimed at curtailing the further spread of COVID-19; physical and social distancing should be emphasised across all age groups in Nigeria.
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