Dorji Thinley, Tamang Saran Tenzin, Tilak T V S V G K
Department of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Pune, India.
Kidu Mobile Medical Unit, His Majesty's People's Project, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Heliyon. 2021 Jul 11;7(7):e07533. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07533. eCollection 2021 Jul.
Bhutan lacks a medical school and all medical students are trained in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of medical schools in these countries in March-April 2020, the medical students were repatriated to Bhutan. Upon return, they were kept in government-sponsored facility quarantine for 21 days. This study assessed their knowledge on COVID-19 as a part of self-learning and their attitude towards participation in government's health response to COVID-19.
This was a cross-sectional study among medical students who had returned to the country. The survey was conducted through an online questionnaire while the students were in facility quarantine. The sample size calculated was 129 and convenient sampling was used. Knowledge was assessed using 20 questions, each scored 1/20. Knowledge was considered "good" if the cumulative score was ≥80%, "satisfactory" if ≥60-79% and "poor" if <60%. Correlation between knowledge score and duration of clinical clerkship was tested using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Attitude of students towards their willingness to participate in the national COVID-19 response was tested using rating scales. Data were analysed using Stata 13.1.
120 medical students responded to the survey (response rate = 93%). Eighty-eight (74%) had good knowledge, 28 (23%) had satisfactory knowledge and only four (3%) had poor knowledge on COVID-19. The students scored high on the symptomatology, mode of transmission, prevention and treatment options and on local epidemiology; and scored low on the forms of mechanical ventilation and on home-management of non-critical cases. The knowledge score correlated with the duration of clinical clerkship they had undertaken ( = 0.326, = 0.001). The primary source of information were social media sites (102, 85%), television (94, 78%) and newspapers (76, 63%). The majority (78, 65%) were willing to participate in the government's COVID-19 response but could not identify what roles they could play. The fear of contracting COVID-19 was reported by eight students (7%).
Medical students had good knowledge on COVID-19 and had self-learned through social media, television and newspapers. The students held positive attitude towards participation in the government's COVID-19 response.
不丹没有医学院，所有医学生都在斯里兰卡、孟加拉国和印度接受培训。2020年3月至4月，当新冠疫情导致这些国家的医学院关闭时，医学生被遣返回不丹。回国后，他们被安置在政府资助的设施中进行21天的隔离检疫。本研究评估了他们对新冠疫情的知识，作为自我学习的一部分，以及他们对参与政府应对新冠疫情的态度。
这是一项针对回国医学生的横断面研究。在学生进行设施隔离检疫期间，通过在线问卷进行调查。计算得出的样本量为129，并采用了方便抽样。通过20个问题评估知识，每个问题得分为1/20。如果累积得分≥80%，则认为知识“良好”；如果≥60-79%，则认为“满意”；如果<60%，则认为“较差”。使用Pearson相关系数检验知识得分与临床实习时间之间的相关性。使用评分量表测试学生参与国家新冠疫情应对的意愿态度。数据使用Stata 13.1进行分析。
120名医学生对调查做出了回应（回应率=93%）。88名（74%）对新冠疫情有良好的知识，28名（23%）有满意的知识，只有4名（3%）对新冠疫情的知识较差。学生们在症状学、传播方式、预防和治疗选择以及当地流行病学方面得分较高；在机械通气形式和非重症病例的家庭管理方面得分较低。知识得分与他们所进行的临床实习时间相关（=0.326，=0.001）。信息的主要来源是社交媒体网站（102，85%）、电视（94，78%）和报纸（76，63%）。大多数（78，65%）愿意参与政府的新冠疫情应对，但不清楚自己可以发挥什么作用。8名学生（7%）报告了感染新冠疫情的恐惧。
医学生对新冠疫情有良好的知识，并通过社交媒体、电视和报纸进行了自我学习。学生们对参与政府的新冠疫情应对持积极态度。
