Wegayehu Teklu, Yohannes Tsegaye, Churko Chuchu, Bekele Alemayehu, Asfaw Mekuria Asnakew
Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
PLoS One. 2024 Dec 31;19(12):e0315204. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0315204. eCollection 2024.
Globally, as of March 2024, the number of confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths were over 774 million and seven million, respectively. Since there are no proven treatment in place against the disease, controlling strategy mainly rely on preventive measures. However, data on the extent of implementing physical distancing and other preventive measures during the pandemic of COVID-19 were inadequate in the study setting. This study is, therefore, documenting these gaps among people in Arba Minch town, South Ethiopia.
We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey and qualitative study at Arba Minch in June 2020. Quantitative data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and check-list from study participants (head of household or any adult ≥18 years old in a household) and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Qualitative data were collected using key informant interviews (KIIs) and analyzed by using a thematic approach.
Of the total surveyed adults (459), only 43.6% achieved above the mean score on adherence to implementing preventive measures of COVID-19. We found that 29.8% of participants kept physical distancing, only 37.7% of study participants had face-mask use practice, 20.5% had hand sanitizer use practice, 42.5% of participants avoided attendance in public gatherings, 44.7% stopped touching their nose, eye, and mouth, 55.6% practiced stay at home, and 60% had frequent hand washing practice. Besides, the main emerged barriers of adherence to implementing COVID-19 preventive measures were poverty, distrust of government, misbelief, lack of ownership, lack of attention and sustained actions, lack of ownership, socio-cultural influence, lack of coordination and leadership.
The finding of this study suggests inadequate adherence to implementing COVID-19 preventive measures in adults in Arba Minch. Although inadequately implemented, a lot of lessons have been learned from COVID-19 pandemic preventive measures that would help in prevention and control of such a pantomimic disease happened.
截至2024年3月，全球范围内，2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）确诊病例数和死亡数分别超过7.74亿和700万。由于尚无针对该疾病的经证实的治疗方法，控制策略主要依赖预防措施。然而，在研究环境中，关于COVID-19大流行期间实施物理距离和其他预防措施的程度的数据并不充分。因此，本研究记录了埃塞俄比亚南部阿尔巴明奇镇人群中的这些差距。
2020年6月，我们在阿尔巴明奇进行了一项基于社区的横断面调查和定性研究。定量数据通过访谈员管理的问卷和检查表从研究参与者（户主或家庭中任何年龄≥18岁的成年人）收集，并使用SPSS 20版进行分析。定性数据通过关键信息访谈（KIIs）收集，并采用主题方法进行分析。
在总共调查的459名成年人中，只有43.6%的人在遵守COVID-19预防措施的执行方面得分高于平均分。我们发现，29.8%的参与者保持了物理距离，只有37.7%的研究参与者有佩戴口罩的习惯，20.5%的人有使用洗手液的习惯，42.5%的参与者避免参加公共集会，44.7%的人停止触摸鼻子、眼睛和嘴巴，55.6%的人实行居家，60%的人有经常洗手的习惯。此外，遵守COVID-19预防措施执行的主要出现的障碍是贫困、对政府的不信任、错误观念、缺乏主人翁意识、缺乏关注和持续行动、缺乏主人翁意识、社会文化影响、缺乏协调和领导力。
本研究结果表明，阿尔巴明奇的成年人在遵守COVID-19预防措施方面存在不足。尽管实施不充分，但从COVID-19大流行预防措施中学到了很多经验教训，这将有助于预防和控制此类模仿疾病的发生。
