Compliance with measures among actors and lessons learnt in the management of COVID-19 institutional quarantine in Uganda.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: To support COVID-19 containment measures, several countries implemented quarantine protocols. This study determined the level of compliance to COVID-19 quarantine measures, associated factors, and lessons learnt in institutional quarantine management in Uganda. Methods: This concurrent mixed methods study involved a cross-sectional survey among individuals who were in institutional quarantine and interviews with key informants, who were reached mostly through phone calls. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analysis were conducted to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data were analysed thematically with the aid of Atlas ti 7. Results: Compliance with quarantine measures at the individual level was moderate at 65.4 %. Factors associated with high compliance with measures were older age (above 40 years) [APR = 1.30 (95 % CI 1.04-1.63)], spending 14-15 days in quarantine [APR = 1.39 (95 % CI 1.00-1.92)] and reporting a high Ministry of Health compliance [APR = 1.33 (CI 1.11-1.58)]. The positive factors included the availability of guidelines, inspection of facilities and training of personnel. The challenges were related to long turnaround time for results and provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusion: Efforts to improve training, supervision and inspection of facilities, and provision of adequate PPE would improve compliance with quarantine measures.