Level of awareness and adherence towards severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in secondary schools and surrounding communities in Mityana District
Abstract
This study was carried out to establish the level of awareness and adherence towards Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in secondary schools and surrounding communities in Mityana district. 150 respondents were selected, among those; 50 were from the surrounding communities, 93 were secondary school learners, and 7 were secondary school administrators, 7 secondary schools were selected for the study. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and observations sheets.
Results from the study shown that, 100.0% of the respondents were aware about the existence of COVID-19. 88.0%, 94.6% and 100% of the surrounding community members, learners, and secondary school administrators respectively had knowledge about how someone can get COVID-19 while 12.0%, 5.4% of surrounding community members and learners respectively didn’t have knowledge about how someone can get COVID-19. The frequently mentioned way of transmission was “contact with an infected person”.
The study also revealed that; 90.0%, 93.5% and 100.0% of the surrounding community members, learners and school administrators respectively had knowledge about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 while 10.0% and 6.5% of surrounding community members and learners respectively didn’t have knowledge about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The frequently mentioned signs and symptoms were; dry cough and difficulty in breathing, where 86.7% of the respondents knew dry cough as a sign of COVID-19 and 75.3% knew difficulty in breathing as a sign of COVID-19. 94.0%, 95.7% and 100.0% of the surrounding community members, learners and school administrators respectively had knowledge about how the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled while 6.0% and 4.3% of surrounding community members and learners didn’t have knowledge about the control measures of COVID-19.
The major sources of awareness about COVID-19 was revealed to be television and radio, 60.8% of the respondents used televisions as their major source of awareness about COVID-19, 21.3% of the respondents used radios as their main source of awareness about COVID-19.
The results revealed that, 88.0% and 76.3% of the surrounding community members and learners respectively put on a face mask when they are in public, 8.0% and 22.6% of surrounding community members and learners respectively put on a face mask the whole day, 4.0% and 1.1%
of surrounding community members and learners respectively never put on a face mask. 100% and 93.5% of the surrounding community members and learners respectively wash their hands with soap and water many times a day. 4.3% of the learners wash their hands only once a day and 2.2% of the learners never wash hands at school. 18.0% and 54.7% of the surrounding community members and learners respectively use hand sanitizers many times a day. 54.0%, 7.5% of surrounding community members and learners respectively never use hand sanitizers, 28.0% and 36.6% of surrounding community members and learners respectively use sanitizers when they find the sanitizers in the places they visit.
According to the results obtained from the secondary school administrators of the respective secondary schools; 14.3% of the secondary schools provide face masks to the learners while 85.7% do not, 100.0% of the secondary schools have temperature guns, handwashing facilities with soap and water, and sanitizers.
On the issue of social distancing in class; 28.6% of the secondary schools did it by re-streaming the learners, 42.8% did it by putting one student at each desk and skipping two empty desks, 28.6% did it by assigning private positions to each learner in class.
The study revealed that; 58.0%, 51.6% and 85.7% of the surrounding community members, learners and secondary school administrators face challenges when implementing the S.O.Ps, while; 42.0%, 48.4% and14.3% of the surrounding community members, learners and secondary school administrators don’t face challenges when implementing the S.O.Ps. Majority of the learners and surrounding community members face challenges with the use of face masks. The challenges of secondary schools are mainly financial and managerial.