Publication

Abstract :

Background: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a beta coronavirus belonging to the larger family coronaviruses. It is very important that health care workers have adequate knowledge regarding COVID-19 and epidemiological characteristics for disease prevention. This study was meant to assess awareness of nursing assistants working in a tertiary care institution in Kerala regarding COVID-19 infection, modes of transmission, symptoms, isolation, and preventive measures instituted for self-protection and hospital sanitation. The objectives of this study was to assess the awareness including the knowledge attitude and practices of hospital staff about basic infection control practices and epidemiological characteristics.

Methods: The study was conducted in medical college, Thiruvananthapuram. Study objective was to study awareness of nursing assistants working in the hospital about COVID-19 preventive measures and epidemiology. Participants selected by simple random sampling with sample size 100. Data was collected using semi structured questionnaire was entered into MS Excel and analysis done using appropriate statistical software. Total score calculated for each of the questions for each participant by summing up the responses for each choice in the question, individual domain and grand total scores calculated. Finally a grand total was calculated for each participant.

Results: Out of total participants 77 (68.8%) scored between 35-49 (good), 36 (31.2%) (average) between 18 and 34, and 0 below 18 (poor).

Conclusions: The results obtained indicate the nursing assistants had good knowledge about COVID-19 epidemiology which will prevent hospital infections of COVID-19.