Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Healthcare Professionals Towards COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Survey from Sudan

Abstract

On 11 th March 2020, the WHO declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. Healthcare professionals (HCP) are at the frontline in the battle against this deadly virus. Their knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) are pivotal in the fight against the disease. A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess KAP of HCP in Sudan towards COVID-19. The study was conducted in Omdurman Military Hospital (OMH) during April 2020. A total of 112 HCP constituted the sample size and were selected through simple random sampling. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software version 26. Females constituted 62.5% of the study sample, while 37.5% were males. 57.1% were between 23 to 30 years of age. Nurses were the highest represented category with 34.8%, followed by physicians and pharmacists with 26.8% and 20.5%, respectively. The mean knowledge score among females was 4.84 out of 6 and for males 4.52 (p-value 0.05). The difference in knowledge score concerning the age group or profession carried no statistical significance. 93.8% of the study participants showed good knowledge about the disease. And 81.3% had a positive attitude towards preventive measures. This study spotted the light on the awareness and skills of the front-liners in the battle against the deadly virus. It also showed good knowledge and a positive attitude of HCP about the disease. However, facing the high tide of COVID-19 requires a holistic approach.