Knowledge, perception and implementation of personal protective measures by citizens during the COVID-19 outbreak in Northern Cyprus: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has generated over 8 000 000 cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide and has led to the implementation of strict measures in all countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude and implementation status of personal protective measures (PPMs) by ordinary citizens in Northern Cyprus and their access to personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 outbreak.Subject and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on internet-based survey. A total of 406 participants were recruited between May 1 and 4, 2020 via authors’ networks to complete a questionnaire. Participants were asked to indicate how often they implemented the five PPMs recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), their daily frequency of hand hygiene events, their COVID-19 knowledge as well as the availability of PPE in their hometown.Results: The prevalence of the five PPMs ranged from 65.0% to 95.6%, with the highest being hand hygiene and the lowest being avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth. Hand hygiene events were recorded to be more than 10 per day in 47.3% of the participants. Gloves (86.2%), surgical masks (52.2%), and cloth face masks (47.3%) were the most commonly used PPE in public areas. The majority of the responders were aware of the incubation time (90.4%) and indirect route of viral transmission (89.7%), whereas knowledge of droplet (72.2%) and aerosol transmission (43.6%) were lower. Knowledge was gained mainly through social media and TV.Conclusion: Overall, citizens implemented protective measures effectively and were strictly coherent to government-induced curfew and self-isolation measurements with a high public awareness.