Knowledge and Perception of COVID-19 among Healthcare Professionals in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-sectional Online Survey

Title:Knowledge and Perception of COVID-19 among Healthcare Professionals in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-sectional Online Survey

Volume: 1

Author(s): Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula and Abdullah Shehab*

Affiliation:

• Department of Cardiology, Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain,United Arab Emirates

Keywords: COVID-19, Knowledge, Perception, Health care professionals, Questionnaire, United Arab Emirates.

Abstract:

Background:During the first week of March, a large number of cases of COVID-19 were reported across the world including the UAE.

Aim:To assess the knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19 among HCPs in the UAE.

Methods:During the first week of March, a cross-sectional study was conducted among EMA HCPs. A 23-item survey questionnaire on knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19, including specific questions related to the different sources of information was used. Each correct response was scored as “1” and wrong as “0”. The sum of the knowledge scores ≤4 out of 7 was considered as poor knowledge and the sum of the perception scores (score >5 out of 7) as a positive perception.

Results:A total of 353 HCPs completed the study and half of them were male (n=178; 50.4%), doctors (n=257;72.8%), and aged between 35-44 years (n=116; 32.9%). Although most of the participants were aware of COVID-19 (n=350; 99.2%), only a limited (n=168;47.6%) proportion of them got the opportunity to attend lectures/discussions related to COVID-19. Government websites (43.1%) and news bulletins (36%) were the primary sources for COVID-19 information. HCPs' knowledge about COVID-19 was found to be satisfactory (58.4%) and their perceptions were positive (78.5%).

Conclusion:As the number of COVID-19 cases is consistently increasing in the UAE, it is important to improve the level of knowledge and perceptions among HCPs. Educational interventions focusing on prevention and control of COVID-19 should be prioritized to empower HCPs in infectious disease outbreaks.

Cite this article as:

Bhagavathula Srikanth Akshaya and Shehab Abdullah *, Knowledge and Perception of COVID-19 among Healthcare Professionals in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-sectional Online Survey, New Emirates Medical Journal 2020; 1 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0250688201999200713195408