Assessment of Awareness Among Students, Faculty, Other Health Care Workers Regarding Covid-19 Illness and Death in SHKM Govt. Medical College and Campus Area, Nalhar, Nuh.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 also known as COVID-19 is an aggressively expanding pandemic caused by a novel human coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) previously known as 2019-nCov. The WHO (World Health Organization) declared the corona virus outbreak 2019- 2020 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 and on 11 March 2020 WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. This led to mass panic and anxiety. Without the proper knowledge of the disease, there are many misconceptions and stigmas about the pandemic even with the implementation of awareness programs. This study attempts to assess the knowledge and awareness level of people engaged in the health sector in India about the COVID-19 disease. AIM:To assess the awareness among the students, faculty and other health care workers about the basic knowledge of the COVID-19 disease. METHODOLOGY:Across sectional study was conducted among 558 Subjects in which faculty were 72, students were 298 and other health care workers were 191 of SHKM Govt. Medical College, Nalhar, Nuh. They will all be given questionnaires regarding the basic details of COVID-19, handling of COVID-19 dead bodies and autopsies of COVID-19 dead bodies. RESULT: In our study most participants acknowledge that they know about COVID-19 (98.92%) and it is a virus (99.46%). Also wearing a mask (98.39%), hand washing and social distancing (100.00)%,staying mostly indoors, not eating outside (78.67%), following all Government guidelines (65.80%), and eating good immunity (100.00%) food can prevent COVID-19. Most Participants have good knowledge regarding COVID-19 dead body autopsy also like whether to do autopsy in non-medicolegal cases (97.85%), risk from doing autopsy (100%). Very few participants know how to transport (0.54%) COVID-19 dead bodies though most know guidelines regarding COVID-19 dead bodies cremation (93.55%). CONCLUSION: There is a need for improvement in understanding of handling and autopsies of COVID-19 dead bodies. Regular awareness programs regarding basic knowledge of COVID-19 disease, handling and autopsies of COVID-19 dead bodies should be conducted.