Table 4.
Comparison of knowledge about COVID-19 among medical students in relation to academic grade
| Items of knowledge of COVID-19 | Preclinical (N = 194) | Clinical (N = 245) | X 2 | P-Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | |||
| Main clinical symptom | ||||||
| Fever | 177 | 91.2 | 237 | 96.7 | 6.093 | 0.014* |
| Fatigue | 150 | 77.3 | 194 | 79.2 | 0.222 | 0.638 |
| Dry cough | 184 | 94.8 | 235 | 95.9 | 0.287 | 0.592 |
| Dyspnea | 148 | 76.3 | 189 | 77.1 | 0.044 | 0.833 |
| Myalgia | 68 | 35.1 | 100 | 40.8 | 1.523 | 0.217 |
| Unlike common cold, stuffy nose, runny nose, and sneezing are less common | 133 | 68.6 | 185 | 75.5 | 2.622 | 0.105 |
| Currently, there is no effective cure | 165 | 85.1 | 208 | 84.9 | 0.002 | 0.964 |
| Early symptomatic and supportive treatment can help most patients recover from the infection | 174 | 89.7 | 209 | 85.3 | 1.870 | 0.171 |
| Low-risk groups for infection | ||||||
| Children | 103 | 53.1 | 138 | 56.3 | 0.457 | 0.499 |
| Adults | 154 | 79.4 | 197 | 80.4 | 0.071 | 0.790 |
| High-risk groups for infection | ||||||
| Pregnant females | 114 | 58.8 | 163 | 66.5 | 2.806 | 0.094 |
| Elderly people | 181 | 93.3 | 232 | 94.7 | 0.378 | 0.539 |
| Obese patients | 79 | 40.7 | 101 | 41.2 | 0.011 | 0.915 |
| Chronic patients | 170 | 87.6 | 219 | 89.4 | 0.332 | 0.565 |
| Eating or contacting wild animals would not result in infection | 91 | 46.9 | 116 | 47.3 | 0.008 | 0.927 |
| Infected persons can transmit the virus to others when fever is not present | 168 | 86.6 | 200 | 81.6 | 1.696 | 0.161 |
| COVID-19 virus spreads via respiratory droplets of infected individuals | 193 | 99.5 | 240 | 98.0 | FE | 0.235 |
| People can wear general medical masks to prevent infection | 123 | 63.4 | 174 | 71.0 | 2.872 | 0.090 |
| It is necessary for children and young adults to take measures to prevent infection | 165 | 85.1 | 222 | 90.6 | 3.206 | 0.073 |
| To prevent infection individuals should avoid going to crowded places and avoid taking public transportations | 190 | 97.9 | 238 | 97.1 | FE | 0.762 |
| Isolation and treatment of people who are infected are effective to reduce spread of the virus | 185 | 95.4 | 233 | 95.1 | 0.016 | 0.900 |
| People who have contact with someone infected virus should be immediately isolated in a proper place | 184 | 94.8 | 224 | 91.4 | 1.926 | 0.165 |
| The observation period for people who have contact with patients should be 7-14 days | 116 | 59.8 | 137 | 55.9 | 0.666 | 0.414 |
| The virus mainly affects lungs, and can cause permanent lung damage | 167 | 86.1 | 211 | 86.1 | 0.001 | 0.990 |
| The virus can live on surfaces for a long period of time | 119 | 61.3 | 148 | 60.4 | 0.039 | 0.843 |
| The virus can be transmitted in a hot climate | 102 | 52.6 | 136 | 55.5 | 0.375 | 0.540 |
| Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR | 167 | 86.1 | 213 | 86.9 | 0.068 | 0.794 |
| The flu vaccine cannot protect against COVID-19 virus | 123 | 63.4 | 179 | 73.1 | 4.705 | 0.030* |
| The incubation period of COVID-19 virus is 2-14 days | 160 | 82.5 | 203 | 82.9 | 0.011 | 0.916 |
| Older people who suffer from chronic medical conditions are more vulnerable to becoming ill with COVID-19 virus | 173 | 89.2 | 224 | 91.4 | 0.635 | 0.425 |
| Plasma of cured COVID-19 patients can be effective in treatment of infection | 104 | 53.6 | 128 | 52.2 | 0.081 | 0.776 |
| Most common ethnic group at high risk of mortality if infected are black persons | 16 | 8.2 | 20 | 8.2 | 0.001 | 0.975 |
*
P < 0.05