Assessment of Compliance to Preventive Measures against COVID-19 using WHO Checklist among Secondary Schools in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria.

Background: Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (Covid-19) was arguably the greatest global health threat of our time. Immediately the pandemic was declared by WHO, countries around the world took broad public health and social measures (PHSM), including closure of schools, to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic posed an enormous risk to the health and safety of learners, teachers, parents, school administrators, education practitioners, and the wider community. However, reopening schools carried the public health risk of viral resurgence. This study aimed to assess the compliance to COVID-19 preventive measures among secondary schools in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra state, Nigeria using WHO checklist.

Methodology: This was a facility-based cross-sectional observational survey of secondary schools within Nnewi North local government area of Anambra state. Data was collected through school surveys and observations of compliance measures, both done during the same school visit. Informed consent was obtained from the principal of each school or their representative before carrying out the study in their facilities.

Results: Out of the schools sampled, 12 schools (38.71%) had good compliance, 9 schools (29.03%) had moderate compliance, and 10 schools (32.26%) had poor compliance. The finding of this study thus revealed that the overall compliance level toward COVID-19 preventive and control measures among secondary schools in Nnewi-North LGA of Anambra state was 38.71%.

Conclusion: The common restraining factors against compliance to standard COVID-19 preventive measures included the fact that the students are children (aged between 11 - 18 years) and thus wouldn't always wear their masks, school ownership, attitude towards, and risk perception of COVID-19 and these factors significantly influenced the adherence of each school towards COVID-19 mitigation measures.