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BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a global pandemic, threatening millions of lives worldwide. Everyone was overwhelmed by the plethora of information from different sources, creating confusion, misconceptions, and panic in the community. AIMS: This study aimed to estimate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among medical and dental students toward COVID-19 and to identify factors influencing them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students enrolled in MBBS and BDS courses, and KAP scores were calculated using a self-administered questionnaire. The statistical analysis was done by unpaired t test and one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: MBBS students had higher KAP scores when compared with BDS students. Knowledge gaps were discovered in the areas of COVID-19 transmission through blood, World Health Organization (WHO)-designated variants of concern, disinfectant usage, and mandatory vaccination. A majority (91.33%) of the students had a positive attitude toward COVID-19. Better knowledge and practice scores were significantly associated with vaccinated students and those who trusted government website resources. CONCLUSION: Curriculum modifications and creative teaching strategies can fill the lacunae in the KAP scores. Medical and dental students, as torchbearers of the healthcare fraternity, can play a critical role in raising awareness during public health emergencies.
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Background: In January 2021, India's drug regulator issued restricted emergency approval for COVISHIELD and COVAXIN, which were manufactured in India. In mid-January 2021, in India, there were 10.5 million confirmed cases and 0.15 million deaths. The objectives were to evaluate vaccine effectiveness (VE) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines made in India against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Materials and Methods: A test-negative case-control study was conducted from May 2021 to December 2021 for a duration of 8 months among people attending a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) center at a medical college hospital for RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. The baseline characteristics and RT-PCR report were collected from the RT-PCR center. The exposure to COVID-19 vaccines was enquired via phone call or was checked with data available with the health authorities. Results: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and case and control definitions, a total of 380 participants (95 cases and 285 controls) were included. The adjusted VE of two doses of COVISHIED vaccine against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was 52.2% (41.7 to 62.1), and that of a single dose was 40.88% (31.26 to 51.29). The adjusted VE of two doses of COVAXIN vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection was 39% (29.40 to 49.27). The overall VE was 48.20% (37.90 to 58.22) for two doses of any vaccines. Conclusions: Vaccines made in India were nearly 50% effective. Further new studies should be conducted as new variants of SARS-CoV-2 are emerging. We do not know the VE against the variants, and whether booster doses are required or not is not yet established.
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INTRODUCTION: Globally, billions of people do not have access to improved sanitation and many defecate in the open air. Poor hand washing practices and limited access to sanitation facilities perpetuate the transmission of disease-causing germs. The objectives of the study were to find out the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) on sanitary latrine, footwear, and hand washing among rural people and to assess the improvement in KAP after health education intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A health education intervention study was conducted from November 2012 to January 2014 in a rural area of Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, South India among the people aged 15 years and above. The individuals were selected by multistage random sampling and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. After a baseline KAP assessment, intervention activities were conducted twice. The intervention activities were group level talks and discussions, free soap distribution, and display of posters at anganwadi centers. Post-KAP was assessed twice, and the significance of difference was found by using McNemar's test. RESULTS: After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in the overall KAPs among the subjects in post test-1 and post test-2 (P1 < 0.0001, P2 < 0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Health education as an intervention has significantly increased KAP more than 30%. Hence, it is imperative that education interventions are needed to bring or sustain positive change.
