In the midst of imbalance: medical and healthcare students versus SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 era, it is crucial to determine the level of relevant infectious disease knowledge amongst medical students as they may influence public opinion by acting as informal medical advisors to their friends and family. We sought to assess the knowledge of students regarding COVID-19 at a single Polish medical university, to understand the level of knowledge and determine if dedicated COVID-19 education is necessary. Material and methods: The survey was conducted in Google Forms and access was obtained through the university's secure email. After exclusion, 1 001 students were enrolled. Results: The most common mask used amongst students is a surgical mask. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission, 79.1% chose droplet and 19.3% chose airborne transmission. Only 35% agreed that surgical masks protect them from coronavirus and 70% strongly agreed or agreed that all healthcare workers should wear an N95/FFP3 mask. Students with a healthcare worker in the family more likely agreed that all healthcare workers should wear N95/FFP3 (p = 0.001). The source of information used affected the route of transmission chosen (p = 0.006). Conclusions: We recommend combating contradictory information by implementing dedicated education into the healthcare student curriculum on SARS-CoV-2, PPE, filtering efficiency of masks, modes of transmission of viruses, and how to use evidence-based medicine.