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Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019, or better known as the COVID-19, has caused a global pandemic and high death rate worldwide. Following the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, the government had enforced Movement Control Order (MCO) started from 18 March 2020 and the restrictions were conducted and reviewed in several phases. The MCO also involved schools closure and commencement of online learning. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 among students in selected boarding schools in Malaysia. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was done in July to September 2020 using a set of questionnaire that was distributed via Google form. The questionnaire consisted of demographic data, knowledge, attitude and practice regarding COVID-19. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science 22. Result(s): A total of 365 students participated in this study. The respondents comprised of 54.2% female and 45.8% male stu-dents. The study found that they have moderate knowledge on COVID-19 while their attitude and practice were high. The study found a significant association between the knowledge and practice scores and between the attitude and practice scores of the respondents. [r = 0.389, p < 0.05] regarding COVID-19 However, there was no significant association between the knowledge and attitude scores. Conclusion(s): This study concluded that students' practice regarding COVID-19 was influenced by their attitude on health care to prevent COVID-19 infection. Therefore, changing their attitude and increasing the students knowledge are necessary to improve their practices regarding COVID-19 preventive measures.Copyright © 2023 Japan University of Health Sciences.
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INTRODUCTION: Prolonged COVID-19 symptoms is one of the major challenges in the management of the disease. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased drastically, the number of those with prolonged symptoms are also accumulating, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. This study aimed to identify the long-term clinical symptoms of COVID- 19 and the associated risk factors among Malaysian populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using Google Form link for distribution of a selfadministered questionnaire was shared and disseminated via online platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The inclusion criteria included those with a history of positive COVID-19 from 1st March 2020 until one month prior to the survey, and age above 18 years old. RESULTS: A total of 215 Malaysians participated, with 74% female respondents and a mean age of 36.4 years. Twenty-seven (12.6%) were asymptomatic when diagnosed with COVID-19. More than half (56%) still had symptoms at one-month of diagnosis, while 39% and 18% still had symptoms at the second and third months respectively. The most reported symptoms were lethargy (45.1%), difficult concentrating (22.3%) and cough (21.9%). Female, chronic lung disease and hypertension were significantly associated with prolonged symptoms at one month of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Lethargy, difficulty to concentrate and cough were the most common symptoms reported months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Apart from treating acute conditions, physicians should also be able to recognize and manage those symptoms. The findings of this study will help policymakers better grasp the social and economic consequences of long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms.
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Introduction: The world has been badly affected by the spread of a novel virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that was first reported in Wuhan, China back in December 2019. As the virus is transmitted through aerosol, respiratory droplets and close contact, hand hygiene and wearing mask are the most important preventive measures for COVID-19. Studies showed hand hygiene intervention improved compliances. This paper discussed the development of a hand hygiene intervention module, validation, usability and effectiveness reports. Methods: This study involved 5 stages;need analysis, module development, validation, usability and effectiveness studies. Need analysis and module development were carried out through brainstorming and literature search. The content was evaluated by three experts, whereas the usability was screened by four preschool teachers. The effectiveness of knowledge transfer was evaluated via pre and post intervention surveys. Results: The hand hygiene educational module received valuable comments from the content expert and the end-users (teachers). Knowledge score related to COVID-19 transmission, prevention and hand hygiene moments among pre-school children were significantly increased after the intervention. Conclusion: This module can be used to improve teaching method related to COVID-19 and hand hygiene. The ‘learn and play' approach may increase excitement, thus make learning process enjoyable and memorable. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.
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Background: COVID-19 i s an emergi ng i nfecti ous di sease caused by a novel Severe Acute Respi ratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In Malaysia, first few cases of COVID-19 were detected in January 2020, among Chinese nationals and the cases keep increasing day by day. Method(s): This self-administered web based cross sectional study using Google forms was conducted among 400 Malaysian adults to explore their level of knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19, as well as factors associated with the variables. Descriptive and binary logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 22. Result(s): Knowledge and practice among Malaysian adults towards COVID-19 were low. Gender (p = 0.030, OR:0.616, 95% CI 0.398-0.955) and occupation (p = 0.002, OR:2.489, 95% CI 1.485-4.172) were found as significant predictors of practice towards COVID-19. Conclusion(s): In conclusion, proper mass public health messages should be conducted by the higher authorities to improve knowledge and practice towards COVID-19. Copyright © 2020 Japan Health Sciences University & Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation.
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Globally, the minority indigenous peoples have a lower health status when compared with national populations. The Orang Asli who are indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, also pose a significant challenge towards the handling of diseases. The present study sought to synthesise a coherent explanation of health-seeking behaviour among Orang Asli using a mixed-method research approach. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 324 adult Orang Asli living in the rural district of Jelebu, in the Peninsular Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan who conformed to the inclusion criteria. Then, 16 participants were interviewed to obtain an in-depth insight regarding their health-seeking behaviour. The findings showed that the majority of the Orang Asli utilized modern healthcare facilities and the respondents reported that the accessibility, services and medicines provided by the government were excellent. Meanwhile, 40.7% of the respondents relied on both traditional and modern treatments. The key determinants of the modern health-seeking behaviours among the Orang Asli in this study were satisfaction on modern health, barriers in getting health services, acceptance and attitude, and traditional medicine utilisation. Government, institutions and healthcare facilities have a role in ensuring that the vulnerable Orang Asli population is not left behind in receiving essential information on diseases associated with chronic and infectious diseases, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, as their action of seeking treatment remains complex and multi-layered. © 2021, Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. All Right Reserved.
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The COVID-19 pandemic results in unprecedented impacts globally. Discoveries and knowledge on this pandemic are evolving. A study was conducted to determine factors that could be associated with the knowledge, attitude and practice towards the COVID-19 pandemic among medical students at one of the public universities in Malaysia. A crosssectional study was conducted through an online survey using a set of questionnaires. The questionnaire was adapted and adopted from validated sources. This study found that the scores for knowledge, attitude and practice were high among medical students. Male students had a higher level of knowledge whereas females had a significantly higher level of attitude and practice. For clinical year students, a higher level of knowledge and practice were recorded compared to the pre-clinical year students. The findings from this study could be used to understand the level of knowledge, attitide and practice of COViD-19 among university students and could help in planning for effective wareness campaigns in higher education institution in Malaysia. © 2021, Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine. All Right Reserved.
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Malaysian government started the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18th March 2020, as one of the initiatives to prevent the more massive outbreak of COVID-19. Recent statistics showed a rapid rise in the numbers of positive COVID-19 patients. However, the statistics on COVID-19 patients being discharged showed that the higher authority was very committed in managing COVID-19 crisis. This online study was conducted among 1,543 Malaysian adults using a validated questionnaire to explore more findings on the Malaysian’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) level towards COVID-19 prevention during the MCO period. Descriptive study and binary logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 22. This study showed that the majority of respondents have good KAP level regarding COVID-19 pre-vention. WhatsApp and Telegram were the primary sources of information used by the respondents. Education level was the main predictor for knowledge (OR: 2.083, CI: 1.605-2.702), attitude (OR:1.854, Ci;1.42-2.42) and practice (OR: 1.745, CI;1.326-2.096) regarding COVID-19 prevention (p<0.001). Knowledge (OR;1.636, CI: 1.302-2.054) and practice (OR;2.328, CI: 1.858-2.916) were predictors of attitude regarding COVID-19 prevention (p<0.001). In conclusion, total adherence to the Movement Control Order (MCO) along with public health interventions focusing on behavioral change may play vital roles in breaking the chain of infection.