Knowledge and perception of COVID-19 and its treatment. A community-based survey in South Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Media channels increased COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty and disputes, hindering dissemination and acceptance of evidence-based health information. Socioeconomic, cultural, and developmental factors affect a community’s access to credible health information. This community-based study aims to assess semi-urban residents’ understanding of COVID-19. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 384 multistage-sampled residents of the study site. Sociodemographic, psychographic, and COVID-19 and treatment knowledge were obtained using a semistructured questionnaire. Six questions were used to measure knowledge, which was deemed adequate (three or more correct answers) or inadequate (fewer than three correct responses). RESULTS: 54 out of 364 responders (14.8%) knew COVID-19. 68.9% of respondents stated citrus fruits or spices, 46.1% mentioned infection safety, and 13.3% mentioned chloroquine for prevention. Regarding treatment, 55.5% of responders reported chloroquine and 20.9% hydroxychloroquine. 17% chose ”none of the above.” Class I workers were four times more likely to have adequate knowledge than class V workers (p=0.019), while class III workers were 79% less likely (p=0.046). Males had 68%less knowledge than females (p=0.008). Conclusions: In this study, adequate knowledge of COVID-19 was low and associated with higher socioeconomic class.