Risk perceptions and preventive practices of COVID-19 among healthcare professionals in public hospitals in Ethiopia

Abstract

Healthcare professionals are at higher risk of contracting the novel coronavirus due to their work exposure in the healthcare settings. Practicing appropriate preventive measures to control COVID-19 infection is one of the most important interventions that healthcare workers are expected to use. The aim of this study was to assess the level of risk perception and practices of preventive measures of COVID-19 among health workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 9th to 26th June 2020 among healthcare professionals working at six public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Frequency, percentage, and mean were used to summarize the data. A binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with risk perception about COVID-19. A total of 1,134 participants were surveyed. Wearing facemask (93%), hand washing for at least 20 seconds (93%), covering mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing (91%), and avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth (91%) were the commonly self-reported preventive practices. About 88% perceived that they were worried about the risk of becoming infected with coronavirus, and majority (91%) worried about the risk of infection to their family. The mean score of overall fear and worry of COVID-19 was 2.37 on a scale of 1 to 3. Respondents who ever provided clinical care to COVID-19 patients were more likely to report fear and worry (adjusted OR=1.34, 95% CI:1.02-1.91), however those who ever participated in Ebola or SARS outbreaks were less likely to report fear and worry due to COVID-19 crisis (adjusted OR=0.66, 95% CI:0.48-0.90). This study has revealed widespread practices of preventive measures and the highest perceived risk of COVID-19 among healthcare workers. Therefore, an effective risk communication intervention should be implemented to ensure the maintenance of appropriate practices during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Community risk perception and health-seeking behavior in the era of COVID-19 among adult residents of Harari regional state, eastern Ethiopia

“…Gaps and negligence in applying the COVID-19 preventive measures among the public have been observed. 9 , 10 …”

Personal protective equipment utilization practice and psychological preparedness of health care workers against COVID-19 pandemic in Eastern Ethiopia

“… 9 – 11 However, low-resource countries like Ethiopia were experiencing multilevel barriers to preparedness due to limited resources and weak health care infrastructure. 12 , 13 HCWs’ inadequate preparedness (24%–57%) 14 to respond to an outbreak contributes to workers leaving their positions due to fear of infection and community distrust of government and HCWs. 15 – 17 Being a nurse, female, having an isolated ward, knowing COVID-19 management, good communication with management, and work experience >10 years had association with the PPE utilization.…”

Evidence Gaps and Challenges in the Fight Against COVID-19 in Africa: Scoping Review of the Ethiopian Experience

“…In addition to moderate to severe psychological problems, HCWs reported a high rate of perceived vulnerability for COVID-19 infection 29 and were worried about the risk of becoming infected with the virus and the risk of transmitting it to their families. 60 As a result, most (97%) of the HCWs reported that they were not ready to give care for COVID-19 patients. 21 …”