Knowledge and Attitudes of Young Adults Towards Donation of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma and Its Therapeutic Properties.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the level of knowledge of the young adults towards the possible use of the convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of COVID-19 infection and their attitudes towards its donation.

METHODS

Cross-sectional questionnaire was administered online to 1058 university students, representing 4 different colleges. The questionnaire included demographic data and 20 questions related to the knowledge and attitudes of respondents about possible use of the convalescent plasma in the treatment of COVID-19 infection and its donation. Comparative analyses were made using the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and the Spearman correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Significant relationships were found between dependent variables (level of knowledge and intensity of attitude) and gender, age, and student's college affiliation. There was no statistically significant correlation between dependent variables and respondents' social background and religious commitment. Studied young adults show a satisfactory knowledge relating to the therapeutic and preventive properties of the COVID-19 convalescent plasma. They also express a sufficient intensity of positive attitude towards CP donation.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the need for appropriate health promotional campaigns and educational programs aimed at popularization of CP donation in the general public, which would increase the chances of involving more patients recovered from COVID-19 disease.