Factors associated with incorrect facemask use among individuals visiting high-risk locations during COVID-19 pandemic
| Main Authors: | Sera Selvanthansundram Gunasekaran, Gobi Hariyanayagam, Shargunan Selvanthan, NurSyafina Insyirah Zaimi, Nor Amirah Abdul Halim |
|---|---|
| Format: | Proceeding poster |
| Bahasa: | eng |
| Terbitan: |
, 2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/4011389 |
Daftar Isi:
- Introduction Background The establishment of the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic is believed to be sustained by human-to-human transmission mainly through respiratory droplets similar to respiratory infections such as flu and rhinovirus. Health care authorities have had to rely on public health management to mitigate the burden on healthcare system. • Health care authorities have advocated use of personal protective equipment such as facemask. Research Question How much of the population are using facemask when visiting high-risk location during COVID-19 outbreak? Are general population using the facemask correctly? Aim This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, types, and correct use of facemask by individuals visiting high risk public locations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology Design Cross-sectional observational study. Location : Wet markets and district specialist hospital in Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia. Duration : March 30th to April 12th, 2020 Variables Demographic data • The type of facemask (Medical Grade or Non-Medical Grade) The correct use of facemask -Correct use : colored side out. Cover nose and mouth -Incorrect use: colored side in .Exposure of nose or mouth Statistical All demographic and categorical variables were presented as number (n) and percentage (%). A binary logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the contributing factors to incorrect facemask use. For all tests, a two-tailed p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). Results [Refer to Poster]. Discussion and Conclusion High prevalence of individuals (98.2%) using medical grade facemask (77.4%) indicate accessibility of facemasks for community and good social adaptability in response to local disease outbreak. The significantly higher incorrect facemask use among those wearing medical grade facemasks is worrying as incorrect facemask use may not form a tight seal against the face skin which is required to provide effective prevention. Facing a worldwide health emergency with limited effective clinical treatment, public health management is of paramount important for mitigating the stress on the healthcare system.