Awareness of Health Professionals on COVID-19 and Factors Affecting It Before and During Index Case in North Shoa Zone, Ethiopia, 2020

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a SARS-COV2. The main way of transmission is from person to person through droplet nuclei. In this time, this disease has no treatment and vaccination. Hence, the WHO recommends countries to work intensively on prevention and control measures. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the level of awareness on clinical and epidemiological spectrum of COVID-19 and factors affecting it in the North Shoa zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was used to assess awareness of health professionals on COVID-19 and associated factors affecting it before and during index case. A total of 384 participants selected from 10 hospitals participated in this study. The data were entered and coded using EPI-INFO version 3.5.4 and then transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were computed. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were taken as predictor variables. RESULTS: A total of 384 respondents with a response rate of 91% participated in this study. The proportion of participants with an awareness of COVID-19 was 305 (79.4%). The types of profession (AOR=6.9, 95% CI=1.6–29.8) and level of a profession (AOR=2.3, 95% CI=1.4–4.4) of the profession, availability of television at home (AOR=2.1, 95% CI=1.1, 3.9) and hearing of the emerging diseases in the past (AOR=2.7, 95% CI=1.5–5) were factors that determine the awareness of health professionals on COVID-19 clinical and epidemiological spectrum. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The level of the health professional’s awareness on the clinical and epidemiological spectrum of COVID-19 was promising. There is a need for a coordinated effort from stakeholders and health professionals to increase awareness.