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ISSN 2063-5346
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AWARENESS, ATTITUDE AND PREPAREDNESS OF VOLUNTEERS TO MANAGE PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 IN KSA: PILOT SURVEY

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Fatmah Mohammed Althabet1, Razia Aftab Ahmed2, Mohammed Amer Alamer3, Asma Mohammed Al Thabit4, Safar Abadi Alsaleem5, Syed Esam Mahmood6
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si10.00399

Abstract

Background: The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally with more load and shortage in needed health care staff. Retired professionals, medical students, military and volunteers are acting as a supplement to the workforce during this crisis. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess awareness, attitude and preparedness of volunteers to manage patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from October 2020 to December 2020 in all regions of Saudi Arabia targeting the population who worked as volunteers to manage patients with COVID-19 during the outbreak crisis. Data were collected using pre-structured electronic questionnaire. Participant’s socio-demographic data, volunteers’ attitude regarding care for COVID-19 and their preparedness to provide safe care was studied. Results: A total of 310 volunteers to manage COVID-19 patients completed the study questionnaire. A total of 176 (56.8%) were females. Overall 287 (92.6%) of the study volunteers had good knowledge level regarding COVID-19 and only 23 (7.4%) had poor knowledge level. About 88% were fully confident and relaxed to the idea of daily duty despite infected cases in the hospital. Nearly, 43.5% preferred to care for confirmed cases, 28.1% prefer care for suspected cases while 24.8% are away of cases care. Conclusion: The current study revealed that, there was adequate number of volunteers for COVID-19 cases care during the pandemic despite their fear of high risk of getting infection. Volunteers had more than satisfactory level of knowledge regarding the disease, very high attitude towards COVID cases care and high preparedness to provide safe care.

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