| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 25
| Issue : 1 | Page : 14-20 |
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Knowledge overload versus actual practices: Knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 infection among patients attending the emergency services of a tertiary care hospital during the COVID “lockdown” period
Swapnajeet Sahoo1, Aseem Mehra1, Gopika Jagota1, Aarzoo Suman1, Shivanee Kumari1, Deba Prasad Dhibar2, Navneet Sharma2, Savita Kumari2, Sandeep Grover1
1 Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:
Sandeep Grover
Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh - 160 012
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jmhhb.jmhhb_57_20
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Background: It is essential to assess the knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 infection among people utilizing the emergency health-care services. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 infection and the practices followed by the patients and their caregivers with respect to prevention of spread of COVID-19. Methodology: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted in the emergency outpatient services of a tertiary care center using a brief self-designed questionnaire. Results: More than half of the participants considered that touch and coming in contact with a person with cough/cold were the most common mode of spread of the infection, but many others had several misinformations regarding the exact mode of transmission. Three-fourth of the participants thought that wearing a mask is required to protect oneself from getting infected, while handwashing and social distancing as important precautionary measures were reported by only half and one-fourth of the participants respectively. Only half of the participants used masks during traveling to the hospital and one-third reported of sanitizing hands during travel and only half of the participants reported of having knowledge about using surgical masks and sanitizers in emergency premises, and only two-fifths thought social distancing to be a precautionary measure to follow in the emergency setting. Conclusions: The study findings highlight the need to improve awareness programs so as to improve the knowledge and practices of medically ill patients and their caregivers attending the emergency services.
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