Table 2.
Assessment of study participants (pharmacists and students) awareness about coronavirus pandemic (n = 726).
| Statements | Correct answer, n (%) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total n = 726 | Students n = 256 | Pharmacists n = 470 | P-value# | |
| One way of transmission of coronavirus is respiratory droplets from person to person among close contacts. | 637 (87.7) | 222 (86.7) | 415 (88.3) | 0.535 |
| Coronavirus can be transmitted after touching surfaces that were contaminated with the virus. | 698 (96.1) | 245 (95.7) | 453 (96.4) | 0.649 |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen can decrease the risk of complications when used during viral infections. | 560 (77.1) | 179 (69.9) | 381 (81.1) | 0.001* |
| Fever/dry cough/shortness of breath are associated with coronavirus. | 714 (98.3) | 249 (97.3) | 465 (98.9) | 0.092 |
| Muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea/vomiting/diarrhea) are not associated with coronavirus. | 470 (64.7) | 142 (55.5) | 328 (69.8) | < 0.001* |
| Hand washing with soap and water for 20 s is enough to clean the hands and protect from spreading the infection. | 620 (85.4) | 217 (84.8) | 404 (85.7) | 0.721 |
| Using steroids do not increase vulnerability to coronavirus infection. | 347 (47.8) | 97 (37.9) | 250 (53.2) | < 0.001* |
| Generally, the use of autoimmune disease treatments increase the susceptibility to contract coronavirus infection. | 461 (63.5) | 151 (59.0) | 310 (66.0) | 0.062 |
| Hydroxychloroquine has not been used as a preventative therapy against coronavirus infection. | 427 (58.8) | 125 (48.8) | 302 (64.3) | < 0.001* |
| Azithromycin has been used along with hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of the coronavirus infection cases. | 521 (71.8) | 154 (60.2) | 367 (78.1) | < 0.001* |
| Oseltamivir has not been used in the management of coronavirus infection cases. | 205 (28.2) | 51 (19.9) | 154 (32.8) | < 0.001* |
| Protein calorie malnutrition impairs host immunity (particularly the T-cell system) resulting in increased opportunistic infections. | 375 (51.7) | 133 (52.0) | 242 (51.5) | 0.905 |
| Patients should eat food that contains Vitamin C and D to boost their immunity. | 692 (95.3) | 244 (95.3) | 488 (95.3) | 0.997 |
| Eating food like mushrooms and garlic is beneficial for the immune system. | 548 (75.5) | 197 (77.0) | 351 (74.7) | 0.497 |
| Exercise causes antibodies and white blood cells to circulate in the body more rapidly detecting infections at an early stage. | 509 (70.1) | 174 (68.0) | 335 (71.3) | 0.352 |
| The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise increases bacterial growth, which will lower the body's ability to fight the infection. | 460 (63.4) | 156 (60.9) | 304 (64.7) | 0.317 |
| Not smoking and decreasing stress help support the immune system. | 706 (97.2) | 248 (96.9) | 458 (97.4) | 0.635 |
| Sunlight activates T-helper cells hence boosts immunity. | 436 (60.1) | 145 (56.6) | 291 (61.9) | 0.166 |
| You need to keep a distance of at least 3 m (10 feet) when counseling patients during a pandemic. | 191 (26.3) | 48 (18.8) | 143 (30.4) | 0.001* |
| The highest risk patients in contracting coronavirus are elderly (>65), immune-compromised and children under the age of 9. | 147 (18.9) | 41 (16.0) | 96 (20.4) | 0.147 |
Using Chi-square test, * significant at 0.05 significance level.