Introduction Over six million cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported globally by the second quarter of 2020. The various forms of interventions and measures adopted to control the disease affected people's social and behavioural practices. Aim This study aims to investigate COVID-19 related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) as well as misconceptions in Katsina state, one of the largest epicentres of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. Methods The study is cross-sectional survey of 722 respondents using electronic questionnaire through the WhatsApp media platform. Results One thousand five hundred (1500) questionnaires were sent to the general public with a response rate of 48% (i.e. 722 questionnaires completed and returned). Among the respondents, 60% were men, 45% were 25-39 years of age, 56% held bachelor's degree/equivalent and above and 54% were employed. The study participants correct rate in the knowledge questionnaire was 80% suggesting high knowledge on the disease. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) exists between the average knowledge score of the participants and their level of education (Kendall's tau = 0.16). Overall, most of the participants agreed that the COVID-19 will be successfully controlled (84%) and the Nigerian government will win the fight against the pandemic (71%). Men were more likely than female (P < 0.05) to have recently attended a crowded place. Being more educated (bachelor's degree or equivalent and above vs diploma or equivalent and below) is associated with good COVID-19 related practices. Among the participants, 83% held at least one COVID-19 related misconception with the most frequent being that the virus was created in a laboratory (36%). Participants with lower level of education received and trust COVID-19 related information from local radio and television stations and participants at all levels of education selected that they would trust health unit and health care workers for COVID-19 related information. Conclusion Although there is high COVID-19 related knowledge among the sample, misconceptions are widespread among the participants. These misconceptions have consequences on the short- and long-term control efforts against the disease and hence should be incorporated in targeted campaigns. Health care related personnel should be in the fore front of the campaign.

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Abstractauthoren We present first principles calculations of the electronic and optical properties of bulk and monolayer structures for four transition metal chalcogenides, MX2 false(M=Zr and Hf; X=S, Se), using a post density functional many‐body perturbation GW approximation in conjunction with the Bethe–Selpeter approximation (GW‐BSE). Optical absorption spectra predict the presence of a strongly bound exciton that lies below the direct band gap in two bulk (HfS2 and ZrSe2) and in all the monolayer structures. The binding energy of the excitons are predicted to lie between 0.11 and 0.96 eV.