Pandemic panic and anxiety in developing countries. Embracing One Health offers practical strategies in management of COVID-19 for Africa

Kasozi, Keneth Iceland; Mujinya, Regan; Bogere, Paul; Ekou, Justine; Zirintunda, Gerald; Ahimbisibwe, Salaviriuse; Matama, Kevin; Ninsiima, Herbert Izo; Echoru, Isaac; Ayikobua, Emmanuel Tiyo; Ssimbwa, Godfrey; Musinguzi, Simon Peter; Muyinda, Robert; Ssempijja, Fred; Matovu, Henry; MacLeod, Ewan T.; Anderson, Neil; Welburn, Susan C.

doi:10.11604/pamj.2020.35.3.22637

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…This is in line with our previous suggestions on "One Health" where interinstitutional and ministerial collaborations have to be promoted to combat COVID-19 in Africa. 4 We recommend further measures on how the creeping stigma about COVID-19 could be handled in Uganda.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 The 2 Health Services Insights spread of the virus is now from person-to-person transmission; however, extensive measures to reduce transmission of COVID-19 designed by the World Health Organization (WHO) remain to be adopted by developing countries. 3,4 Many African countries have registered COVID-19 cases; however, there is anxiety that pandemic preparedness may be compromised by the high burden of infectious diseases including malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, and other tropical diseases. 4,5 Adoption of the WHO policies in Africa continues to be haphazard, thus making regional collaborative efforts to control COVID-19 challenging, especially after lockdown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3,4 Many African countries have registered COVID-19 cases; however, there is anxiety that pandemic preparedness may be compromised by the high burden of infectious diseases including malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, and other tropical diseases. 4,5 Adoption of the WHO policies in Africa continues to be haphazard, thus making regional collaborative efforts to control COVID-19 challenging, especially after lockdown. 6 This is important because the WHO has placed a lot of attention on vulnerable communities of Africa because these are ill equipped to handle the disease due to chronically weak health care systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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University Lecturers and Students Could Help in Community Education About SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Uganda

Echoru

Kasozi

Usman

et al. 2020

Health�Serv�Insights

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Background: The World Health Organization has placed a lot of attention on vulnerable communities of Africa due to their chronically weak health care systems. Recent findings from Uganda show that medical staff members have sufficient knowledge but poor attitudes toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness/practices of lecturers and students in the fight against COVID-19. Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 103 lecturers and students both men and women of age group 18 to 69 years in western Uganda. Data were obtained through a pretested questionnaire availed online. Results: Knowledge on COVID-19 symptoms was highest in this order: fever > dry cough > difficulty breathing > fatigue > headache with no significant differences between lecturers and students. Knowledge of participants on transmission of COVID-19 was highest in the order of cough drops > contaminated surfaces > person-to-person contact > asymptomatic persons > airborne > zoonotic with no significant differences among lecturers and students. Lecturers and students were all willing to continue using personal protective equipment like masks, and personal practices such as covering the mouth while sneezing and coughing, no handshaking, and washing of hands with no significant differences in the responses. The positive attitudes that COVID-19 could kill, anyone can get COVID-19, and willing to abide by the set regulations against the pandemic showed personal concerns and desired efforts against COVID-19. Conclusion: The study identifies lecturers and students as potential stakeholders in the fight against community transmission of COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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University Lecturers and Students Could Help in Community Education About SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Uganda

Echoru

Kasozi

Usman

et al. 2020

Health�Serv�Insights

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“…Extreme mitigation strategies have been put in place in many countries to control COVID-19, to reduce disease transmission and to avoid overburdening healthcare systems including mass lockdowns, curfews, and social distancing measures (4). SARS-CoV-2 and interventions to reduce transmission are negatively impacting already impoverished communities in LMICs and will test heath systems that have little capacity for the management of high dependency patients, or sufficient PPE to protect health workers (5). Interventions will have long-lasting detrimental impacts on LMIC economies, and, in the absence of reliable and efficient tools for early detection of infected and exposed individuals, are likely to extend beyond 2020/21 including in Africa (6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misconceptions on COVID-19 Risk Among Ugandan Men: Results From a Rapid Exploratory Survey, April 2020

Kasozi

MacLeod

Ssempijja

et al. 2020

Front. Public Health

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Background: Transmission of COVID-19 in developing countries is expected to surpass that in developed countries; however, information on community perceptions of this new disease is scarce. The aim of the study was to identify possible misconceptions among males and females toward COVID-19 in Uganda using a rapid online survey distributed via social media. Methods: A cross-sectional survey carried out in early April 2020 was conducted with 161 Ugandans, who purposively participated in the online questionnaire that assessed understandings of COVID-19 risk and infection. Sixty-four percent of respondents were male and 36% were female. Results: We found significant divergences of opinion on gendered susceptibility to COVID-19. Most female respondents considered infection risk, symptoms, severe signs, and death to be equally distributed between genders. In contrast, male respondents believed they were more at risk of infection, severe symptoms, severe signs, and death (52.7 vs. 30.6%, RR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.14-2.8). Most women did not share this perception and disagreed that males were at higher risk of infection (by a factor of three), symptoms (79% disagree), severe signs (71%, disagree), and death (70.2% disagree). Overall, most respondents considered children less vulnerable (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.55-2.2) to COVID-19 than adults, that children present with less symptoms (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 0.77-3.19), and that there would be less mortality in children (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.41-1.88). Of female respondents, 76.4% considered mortality from COVID-19 to be different between the young and the elderly (RR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.01-2.92) and 92.7% Kasozi et al. Perceptions on COVID-19 Among Ugandans believed young adults would show fewer signs than the elderly, and 71.4% agreed that elderly COVID-19 patients would show more severe signs than the young (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 4.8). While respondents considered that all races were susceptible to the signs and symptoms of infection as well as death from COVID-19, they considered mortality would be highest among white people from Europe and the USA. Some respondents (mostly male 33/102, 32.4%) considered COVID-19 to be a "disease of whites" (30.2%). Conclusion: The WHO has identified women and children in rural communities as vulnerable persons who should be given more attention in the COVID-19 national response programs across Africa; however, our study has found that men in Uganda perceive themselves to be at greater risk and that these contradictory perceptions (including the association of COVID-19 with "the white" race) suggest an important discrepancy in the communication of who is most vulnerable and why. Further research is urgently needed to validate and expand the results of this small exploratory study.

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“…More hospital beds were associated with less closure in the non-private sector. Countries with low-resources and underprepared healthcare systems may have less capacity to manage COVID-19 complications resulting in higher mortality rates, panic and anxiety that increase the chances of dental practice closure [41,42]. In addition, the study showed less private practice closure in HICs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Dental practice closure during COVID-19 and associated professional, practice and structural determinants: a multi-country survey

Abdelrahman

Atteya

Ihab

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China has influenced every aspect of life worldwide. Due to the characteristics of dental settings, the risk of cross infection may be high between dental practitioners and patients. Being on the list of high-risk professions, dentists are very much expected to develop severe anxiety about the current pandemic situation. In addition, the limited provision of services and closure of dental practices raised concerns among dental professionals about the financial consequences of this closure. Therefore, the study assessed the extent of dental practice closure in various countries around the world, factors associated with this closure and whether closure and associated factors differed between private and non-private sectors.Methods: From April to May 2020, a web-based survey was sent to dentists in several countries. The survey assessed professional factors, practice factors and country-level structural factors. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the association of practice closure with these factors. Effect modification due to private and non-private sectors was assessed. Results: Dentists (n= 3243) participated from 29 countries. The majority (75.9%) reported practice closure with significantly higher percentage in the private than non-private sector. Fears were associated with significantly higher likelihood of closure in private (OR= 1.54, 95%CI= 1.24, 1.92) and non-private sectors (OR= 1.38, 95%CI= 1.04, 1.82). Non-private, governmental sector dentists (OR= 0.54, 95%CI= 0.31, 0.94) and those in rural areas (OR= 0.58, 95%CI= 0.42, 0.81) and those in hospitals (overall OR= 0.60, 95%CI= 0.36, 0.99) reported low likelihood of closure. High likelihood of closure was reported by those in academia (OR= 2.13, 95%CI= 1.23, 3.71). More hospital beds were associated with lower likelihood of closure in the non-private sector (OR= 0.65, 95%CI= 0.46, 0.91) and private sector dentists in high income countries (HICs) reported less closure than in non-HICs (OR= 0.55, 95%= 0.15, 1.93).Conclusions: Most dentists reported practice closure because of COVID-19 with greater impact in the private than non-private sectors with professional, practice and country-level factors associated.

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Pandemic panic and anxiety in developing countries. Embracing One Health offers practical strategies in management of COVID-19 for Africa

Cited by 11 publications

References 1 publication

University Lecturers and Students Could Help in Community Education About SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Uganda

University Lecturers and Students Could Help in Community Education About SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Uganda

Misconceptions on COVID-19 Risk Among Ugandan Men: Results From a Rapid Exploratory Survey, April 2020

Dental practice closure during COVID-19 and associated professional, practice and structural determinants: a multi-country survey

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