Use of facemasks during the covid-19 pandemic in southeastern Nigeria: an observational study

Abstract

Background The use of facemask for the control of the spread of COVID-19 virus among the population has been recommended by the health authorities. This observational study was carried out to assess the use of facemask in Southeastern Nigeria. Methods Using a two-stage sampling technique, a total of 3100 participants were observed from both rural and urban settings. Frequency distribution tables were used to categories and describe the observed variables, Chi-square (X2) test was used to check for the association between categorical variables. Results Among the observed participants, 46.4% made use of facemask. The most common facemask used was cloth mask (28.6%). About 16.0% of the participants correctly used their facemasks. The highest usage was observed in the urban location (49.2%). A statistically significant association was found between facemask usage and study location (p < 0.001), also between the appropriateness of usage and age category (p < 0.001). Conclusions The observed rate of mask usage may not be able to protect the population against the spread of COVID-19, therefore adequate sensitization on the need for proper use of face masks by the public should be prioritized.