Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards COVID-19 Pandemic among Egyptian Citizens: A Descriptive Study

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been transmitted rapidly  worldwide and is recognized as a main threat to human health in 2020. The best methods to  prevent its spread are to know about it and act accordingly.Aim: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices to respond to  COVID-19 among a sample of Egyptian citizens.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional online survey was conducted on 501 Egyptian  citizens during the early phase of the epidemic.Results: The study included 501 participants. Females account for 49.9% (n=250) .Most of theparticipants (n=380, 75.8%) were between 21- 40 years old. of Transmission modes were  recognized by 96% (n=481). The signs and symptoms were identified by 90.8% (n=455). About  91% (n=453) knew that all ages were liable to get infected with COVID-19 and 96% (n=481)  knew that the elderly were more prone to develop severe disease. Almost all of the  participants (99%, n=494) claimed that they kept hand washing, while only 56.7% mentioned regular use of hand antiseptics. Avoiding contact with symptomatic persons was reported by  97.6% (n=490) and 91.6% (n=459) said they were putting on face masks in crowded places.  The concept of remote work was accepted by 89.4% (n=448) and 97.6% (n=489) believed that  preventive measures could reduce the risk of catching the infection. Almost all the  participants (98.4%, n= 493) would like to know more about the disease. Conclusion: Most of the studied sample of Egyptian citizens were knowledgeable about  COVID-19, positive in their attitudes, and have appropriate practices regarding COVID-19  pandemic. However, these observations should be generalized with caution due to the  limited size of the sample, and the representativeness of low socioeconomic citizens.Recommendations: Health education programs should be implemented among Egyptian  citizens to maintain appropriate and updated knowledge and practices and keep positive  attitudes towards COVID-19.