HIS0010.1177/1178632920944167Health Services InsightsEchoru et al 944167research-article2020 Health Services Insights University Lecturers and Students Could Help in Volume 13: 1–7 © The Author(s) 2020 Community Education About SARS-CoV-2 Infection Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions in Uganda DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/1178632920944167 10.1177/1178632920944167 Isaac Echoru1 , Keneth Iceland Kasozi2 , Ibe Michael Usman3 , Irene Mukenya Mutuku1, Robinson Ssebuufu4 , Patricia Decanar Ajambo4, Fred Ssempijja3, Regan Mujinya3 , Kevin Matama5, Grace Henry Musoke6 , Emmanuel Tiyo Ayikobua7 , Herbert Izo Ninsiima1, Samuel Sunday Dare1,2, Ejike Daniel Eze1,2, Edmund Eriya Bukenya1, Grace Keyune Nambatya8, Ewan MacLeod2 and Susan Christina Welburn2,9 1School of Medicine, Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda. 2Infection Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, and College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University Western, Bushenyi, Uganda. 4Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, Kampala International University Teaching Hospital, Bushenyi, Uganda. 5School of Pharmacy, Kampala International University Western Campus, Bushenyi, Uganda. 6Faculty of Science and Technology, Cavendish University, Kampala, Uganda. 7School of Health Sciences, Soroti University, Soroti, Uganda. 8Directorate of Research, Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda. 9Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Peoples Republic of China. ABSTRACT BacKGROUND: The World Health Organization has placed a lot of attention on vulnerable communities of Africa due to their chronically weak health care systems. Recent findings from Uganda show that medical staff members have sufficient knowledge but poor attitudes toward coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness/practices of lecturers and students in the fight against COVID-19. MethOD: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 103 lecturers and students both men and women of age group 18 to 69 years in western Uganda. Data were obtained through a pretested questionnaire availed online. Results: Knowledge on COVID-19 symptoms was highest in this order: fever > dry cough > difficulty breathing > fatigue > headache with no significant differences between lecturers and students. Knowledge of participants on transmission of COVID-19 was highest in the order of cough drops > contaminated surfaces > person-to-person contact > asymptomatic persons > airborne > zoonotic with no significant dif- ferences among lecturers and students. Lecturers and students were all willing to continue using personal protective equipment like masks, and personal practices such as covering the mouth while sneezing and coughing, no handshaking, and washing of hands with no significant differences in the responses. The positive attitudes that COVID-19 could kill, anyone can get COVID-19, and willing to abide by the set regu- lations against the pandemic showed personal concerns and desired efforts against COVID-19. CONclusiON: The study identifies lecturers and students as potential stakeholders in the fight against community transmission of COVID-19. KeYWORDS: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, community education, lecturers, students, western Uganda RECEIVED: April 17, 2020. ACCEPTED: July 1, 2020. DeclaratiON OF CONflictiNG INterests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this TYPE: Original Research article. FUNDING: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the CORRESPONDING AUTHORS: Isaac Echoru, School of Medicine, Kabale University, Box research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors are grateful to Zhejiang 317, Kabale, Uganda. Email: [email protected] University Education Foundation Emergency Research Fund (S.C.W.); Global Challenges Research Fund and the University of Edinburgh for funding this study. Keneth Iceland Kasozi, Infection Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, and College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK. Email: [email protected] Introduction China, and it has spread across China to the rest of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe World.1,2 It was suggested that COVID-19 is likely to be of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).1 zoonotic origin because of the large number of infected people The disease was discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province in who were exposed at a wet animal market in Wuhan city.3 The Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). 2 Health Services Insights spread of the virus is now from person-to-person transmission; (epidemiologist, sociologist, and statistician) for face and however, extensive measures to reduce transmission of content validity. The questionnaire was pretested among 10 COVID-19 designed by the World Health Organization respondents and remolded to a final tool that was availed (WHO) remain to be adopted by developing countries.3,4 online from April 3 to 10, 2020, using Q-survey (https:// Many African countries have registered COVID-19 cases; www.qsurvey.qa/home/en) online resource. however, there is anxiety that pandemic preparedness may be compromised by the high burden of infectious diseases includ- Study variables ing malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, and other tropical diseases.4,5 Adoption of the WHO policies in Africa continues to be hap- Dependent variables. Sociodemographic features include age, hazard, thus making regional collaborative efforts to control sex, and occupation COVID-19 challenging, especially after lockdown.6 This is important because the WHO has placed a lot of attention on Independent variables vulnerable communities of Africa because these are ill Knowledge about COVID-19. Our questions on knowl- edge on symptoms and mode of transmission of COVID-19 equipped to handle the disease due to chronically weak health 10 care systems.5 were developed in line with WHO guidelines and modified In Uganda, high-risk persons have been identified as chil- to suit the target population. The questions on the symptoms contained the following options: fever, dry cough, shortness of dren, health care providers, immune-compromised persons, 7,8 breath, fatigue, sore throat, and headache. The question on the and the elderly ; however, recent findings from Uganda show mode of transmission contains the following questions: cough- that medical staff members have sufficient knowledge but poor 9 ing drops or sneezing, contaminated surfaces, airborne, eating attitudes toward COVID-19, demonstrating a need to iden- of wild meat, person to person, and nonsymptomatic person. tify novel drivers to supplement COVID-19 control measures Attitude. The questions on attitude were framed after a currently in place. This created a rationale to conduct a com- diligent study of the WHO International Health Regulations munity-based survey among academics living in Uganda to framework and WHO COVID-19 technical guidance on assess their preparedness to support WHO COVID-19 guide- infection prevention and control,10 lines. Therefore, plasticity in knowledge, attitudes, and prac- and contained the following tices of community members, especially academics, remains to questions: COVID-19 is dangerous and can kill; I will adhere be established, especially from a developing country like to all COVID-19 regulations set by government; I know how Uganda. Health resources, intensified surveillance, and capac- to protect myself from getting COVID-19; If I got COVID- ity building have been prioritized in Uganda with an agenda of 19 symptoms, I would be afraid of going to a treatment center; 5 I am ready to self-quarantine in case of contact with suspects; limiting transmission ; however, studies involving role of acad- Anyone can get COVID-19; I fear getting close to any former emicians have not been conducted. The aim of this study was victim of COVID-19; Staying at home is hard for me; and to determine relevance of lecturers and students in the fight Avoiding person-to-person contact is hard at home.11 against COVID-19 by looking at their knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness/practices toward the pandemic. Readiness to combat COVID-19 (risk reduction approaches). This segment contained the following questions: I know the Materials and Methods right sanitizers for COVID-19 while at university, I know when and how to wear masks while at university, I will cover Study design my mouth and nose when sneezing while at university, I know This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that comprised 103 where to throw used tissue after sneezing while at university, respondents both men and women of age group 18 to 69 years in I wash my hands with soap and water after sneezing while at southwestern Uganda. This was among undergraduate