Background: Knowledge and awareness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the general population is essential to curtail its spread. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge on COVID-19, the practice of safety measures, and the importance of quarantine in the population of Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire among Saudi nationals aged between 18 and 65 years having internet access. Informed consent was obtained before proceeding with the questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was utilized for statistical analysis.
Results: A total of 320 respondents were included in the study. Among the participants, 46.6% stated they were well informed on the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants’ most common source of information was social media (72.8%), followed by TV / Radio (48.8%). On assessing their knowledge, 93.3% of the participants were aware of the mode of COVID-19 transmission. The most frequently identified symptoms among the participants were fever (96.3%) and cough (80.2%), whereas headache and myalgia were not as well identified. Safety precautions against COVID-19 were practiced by 72.9% of the participants. The meaning of quarantine was understood by 74.7% of participants, and 70.1% were knowledgeable on the duration of the quarantine.
Conclusion: The public of Saudi Arabia was knowledgeable on COVID-19, safety measures, and quarantine. However, knowledge of a complete range of symptoms awareness on conservative treatment and vaccination can be improved. Mass media campaigns should promote public service messages and extend their reach to deploy information. Further studies with larger population samples are needed to achieve more precise results and identify existing gaps.
Key words: Saudi Arabia, COVID-19, quarantine, knowledge, awareness
|
