•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Background: This study explores and assesses the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of mainstream workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ha’il Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Using convergent parallel mixed-methods design, 502 frontline workers were enlisted via snowball and purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

Results: There is a well-prepared response to COVID-19, namely, a commendable knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) gap documented in reliable information concerning the virus, specifically, awareness that COVID-19 can be a potentially fatal disease (100%); that droplets from infected people (29.8%) can spread the disease; and taking actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community can save their lives. Four themes and three subthemes yielded: (1) actual, tangible knowledge with subtheme pieces of information; (2) the extent of danger with subtheme uncertainties; (3) precautionary measures; and (4) a yearning to know more, with the subtheme of novel information.

Conclusions: Communication among health authorities and at-risk individuals in response to COVID-19 must be facilitated. This is to support those in the healthcare industry in shaping an intervention strategy that emphasizes both preparation and protection.

References

  1. World Health Organization. Situation Report 1: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  2. Nawrat A. Coronavirus outbreak: the story so far. U.K.: Pharmaceutical Technology, 2020.
  3. World Health Organization. WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19. New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  4. World Health Organization. Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19). New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  5. World Health Organization. Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Report–3. New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  6. Beaubien J. Hong Kong has contained coronavirus so far—But at a significant cost. NPR, 2020.
  7. Lin L, Wang J. Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong Face Second Wave of Coronavirus Cases. New York: The Wall Street Journal, 2020.
  8. Nair C. What all the countries that contained coronavirus have in common. Global Institute for Tomorrow and author: The Sustainable State, 2020.
  9. Arab News. Saudi Arabia announces the first case of coronavirus. Saudi Arabia: Arab News, 2020.
  10. Saudi Gazette. Saudi Arabia reports 38 new cases of coronavirus, bringing total to 171. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Gazette, 2020.
  11. Saudi Press Agency. Novel coronavirus COVID-19 follow-up committee holds its 9th meeting. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Press Agency, 2020.
  12. Arab News. Saudi Arabia suspends international flights starting Sunday to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Saudi Arabia: Arab News, 2020.
  13. Saudi Press Agency. Kingdom’s government decides to suspend attendance at workplaces in all government agencies for a period of (16) days except for health, security, military, and electronic security. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Press Agency, 2020.
  14. Saudi Press Agency. Ministry of Sports: Suspending all sport activities in the Kingdom and closing of private sports halls and centers. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Press Agency, 2020.
  15. World Health Organization. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE). New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  16. World Health Organization. Saudi Arabia join forces to fight COVID-19 nationally, regionally and globally. New York: World Health Organization, 2020.
  17. Barry M, Al Amri M, Memish ZA. COVID-19 in the Shadows of MERS-CoV in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2020;10:1–3.
  18. Al-Hanawi MK, Angawi K, Alshareef N, Qattan AMN, Helmy HZ, Abudawood Y, et al. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 among the public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Front Public Health. 2020;8:217.
  19. Alshammari TM, Altebainawi AF, Alenzi KA. Importance of early precautionary actions in avoiding the spread of COVID-19: Saudi Arabia as an Example. Saudi Pharm J. 2020;28:898–902.
  20. Huynh G, Nguyen TNH, Tran VK, Vo KN, Pham LA. Knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 among healthcare workers at District 2 Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2020;13:260–5.
  21. Taghrir MH, Borazjani R, Shiraly R. COVID-19 and Iranian medical students; A survey on their related-knowledge, preventive behaviors and risk perception. Arch Iran Med. 2020;23:249–54.
  22. Khader Y, Al Nsour M, Al-Batayneh OB, Saadeh R, Bashier H, Alfaqih M, et al. Dentists' awareness, perception, and attitude regarding COVID-19 and infection control: Cross-sectional study among Jordanian dentists. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2020;6:e18798.
  23. Minhas S, Chaudhry RM, Sajjad A, Manzoor I, Masood A, Kashif M. Corona pandemic: Awareness of health care providers in Pakistan. AIMS Public Health. 2020;7:548–61.
  24. Zhang M, Zhou M, Tang F, Wang Y, Nie H, Zhang L, You G. Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Henan, China. J Hosp Infect. 2020;105:183–7.
  25. Wenzel RP, Bearman G, Edmond MB. Lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): Implications for infection control. Arch Med Res. 2005;36:610–6.
  26. Pellegrinelli L, Galli C, Bubba L, Cereda D, Anselmi G, Binda S, et al. Respiratory syncytial virus in influenza-like illness cases: Epidemiology and molecular analyses of four consecutive winter seasons (2014-2015/2017-2018) in Lombardy (Northern Italy). J Med Virol. 2020;92:2999–3006.
  27. Lai X, Wang X, Yang Q, Xu X, Tang Y, Liu C, et al. Will healthcare workers improve infection prevention and control behaviors as COVID-19 risk emerges and increases, in China? Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2020;9:83.
  28. Azlan AA, Hamzah MR, Sern TJ, Ayub SH, Mohamad E. Public knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in Malaysia. PLoS One. 2020;15:e0233668.
  29. Sukeri S, Idris Z, Zahiruddin WM, Shafei MN, Idris N, Hamat RA, et al. A qualitative exploration of the misconceptions, knowledge gaps and constructs of leptospirosis among rural and urban communities in Malaysia. PLoS One. 2018;13:e0200871.
  30. Bansal P, Bingemann TA, Greenhawt M, Mosnaim G, Nanda A, Oppenheimer J, et al. Clinician wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Extraordinary times and unusual challenges for the allergist/immunologist. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020;8:1781–90.e3.
  31. Reddy P. Front line talk: South Africa health care workers' response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Paper presented at: National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS); 2020 July 12:11421.
  32. Albaqawi HM, Pasay-An E, Mostoles R Jr, Villareal S. Risk assessment and management among frontline nurses in the context of the COVID-19 virus in the northern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Appl Nurs Res. 2021;58:151410.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.