The Effect of Preventive Measures and Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on the Infection Risk, Treatment, and Hospitalization: A Cross-Sectional Study of Algeria

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to afflict many countries around the world. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in many countries shows a complacency in adhering to preventive guidelines. Consequently, vaccination continues to be a crucial intervention to reduce the effects of this pandemic. This study investigated the impact of preventive measures and COVID-19 vaccination on the infection, medication, and hospitalization. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 23 December 2021 and 12 March 2022 in Algeria. To evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at avoiding and minimizing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity, a questionnaire was created and validated. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were computed to identify associations between dependent and independent variables. Variables with a p-value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Our results indicated that out of 2294 answers received, only 16% of our sample was vaccinated, and more than 60% did not apply preventive guidelines. As a result, 45% were infected with SARS-CoV-2, 75% took treatment (even preventive), and 9% were hospitalized. The logistic regression showed that the impact of preventive measures on the unvaccinated is statistically not significant (OR: 0.764, 95% CI = 0. 555–1.052; p = 0.09). However, this relationship changes significantly for people who are vaccinated (OR: 0.108, 95% CI = 0.047–0.248; p < 0.0001). Our results also demonstrated that the impact of protective measures on non-vaccinated individuals is statistically significant in reducing the need to receive anti-COVID-19 treatments (OR: 0.447, 95% CI = 0.321–0.623; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the results showed that the impact of preventive measures on the non-vaccinated population is also statistically significant in reducing the risk of hospitalization (OR: 0.211, 95% CI = 0.081–0.548; p < 0.0001). Moreover, vaccinated individuals who neglect preventive measures must take the COVID-19 medication at a rate of 3.77 times (OR: 3.77) higher than those who follow preventive measures and are vaccinated. In short, our findings demonstrate the importance of combining preventive measures and vaccination in order to fight against the pandemic. Therefore, we advise the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities to put more effort into enhancing public knowledge about the COVID-19 infection and vaccination through education and awareness initiatives. Parallel to implementing vaccination as additional preventive strategy, behavioral change initiatives must be improved to encourage adherence to COVID-19 prevention recommendations.

COVID-19 Vaccination in the WHO African Region: Progress Made in 2022 and Factors Associated

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Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

“…Nevertheless, they are associated with some side effects that are mostly related to the dose used and duration of treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many reported behaviors were reported regarding medications use among different countries including Middle East [36][37][38]. Furthermore, a debate on the use of corticosteroids was going on until several results of studies led to amendments recommending corticosteroids among the COVID-19 treatment guidelines in certain cases [9,39,40].…”

Psychometric properties of the traditional Chinese version of the COVID Stress Scales in Hong Kong

“…The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted long-lasting impacts on multiple domains of health (1)(2)(3). The first COVID-19 case was identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 (4,5).…”