Knowledge, attitudes, practice of people toward the COVID-19 pandemics, and its impact in Afghanistan

WHO's newly launched platform aims to combat misinformation around COVID-19. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva. WHO is leading the effort to slow the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. But a global epidemic of misinformation—spreading rapidly through social media platforms and other outlets—poses a serious problem for public health. “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic”, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Munich Security Conference on Feb 15. Immediately after COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, WHO's risk communication team launched a new information platform called WHO Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN), with the aim of using a series of amplifiers to share tailored information with specific target groups. Sylvie Briand, director of Infectious Hazards Management at WHO's Health Emergencies Programme and architect of WHO's strategy to counter the infodemic risk, told The Lancet, “We know that every outbreak will be accompanied by a kind of tsunami of information, but also within this information you always have misinformation, rumours, etc. We know that even in the Middle Ages there was this phenomenon”. “But the difference now with social media is that this phenomenon is amplified, it goes faster and further, like the viruses that travel with people and go faster and further. So it is a new challenge, and the challenge is the [timing] because you need to be faster if you want to fill the void…What is at stake during an outbreak is making sure people will do the right thing to control the disease or to mitigate its impact. So it is not only information to make sure people are informed; it is also making sure people are informed to act appropriately.” About 20 staff and some consultants are involved in WHO's communications teams globally, at any given time. This includes social media personnel at each of WHO's six regional offices, risk communications consultants, and WHO communications officers. Aleksandra Kuzmanovic, social media manager with WHO's department of communications, told The Lancet that “fighting infodemics and misinformation is a joint effort between our technical risk communications [team] and colleagues who are working on the EPI-WIN platform, where they communicate with different…professionals providing them with advice and guidelines and also receiving information”. Kuzmanovic said, “In my role, I am in touch with Facebook, Twitter, Tencent, Pinterest, TikTok, and also my colleagues in the China office who are working closely with Chinese social media platforms…So when we see some questions or rumours spreading, we write it down, we go back to our risk communications colleagues and then they help us find evidence-based answers”. “Another thing we are doing with social media platforms, and that is something we are putting our strongest efforts in, is to ensure no matter where people live….when they’re on Facebook, Twitter, or Google, when they search for ‘coronavirus’ or ‘COVID-19’ or [a] related term, they have a box that…directs them to a reliable source: either to [the] WHO website to their ministry of health or public health institute or centre for disease control”, she said. Google, Kuzmanovic noted, has created an SOS Alert on COVID-19 for the six official UN languages, and is also expanding in some other languages. The idea is to make the first information that the public receive be from the WHO website and the social media accounts of WHO and Dr Tedros. WHO also uses social media for real-time updates. WHO is also working closely with UNICEF and other international agencies that have extensive experience in risk communications, such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Carlos Navarro, head of Public Health Emergencies at UNICEF, the children's agency, told The Lancet that while a lot of incorrect information is spreading through social media, a lot is also coming from traditional mass media. “Often, they pick the most extreme pictures they can find…There is overkill on the use of [personal protective equipment] and that tends to be the photos that are published everywhere, in all major newspapers and TV…that is, in fact, sending the wrong message”, Navarro said. David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told The Lancet that the traditional media has a key role in providing evidence-based information to the general public, which will then hopefully be picked up on social media. He also observed that for both social and conventional media, it is important that the public health community help the media to “better understand what they should be looking for, because the media sometimes gets ahead of the evidence”.

The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection can lead to acute resolved or fatal pneumonia. On the basis of knowledge of other coronaviruses, the main route of human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV is probably through respiratory droplets. As of Feb 4, 2020, statistical data show that the outbreak constitutes an epidemic threat in China, where the exponential increase in patients has reached 20 438 confirmed cases, with 2788 (13·64%) patients in critical condition and 425 (2·08%) deaths; 23 214 additional suspected cases have also been identified so far. The most affected city, Wuhan, and related regions in Hubei province of China have reported 13 522 confirmed patients (66·16% of total cases) and 414 deaths from 2019 nCoV infection (97·41% of total deaths in China). 632 patients with confirmed infection have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. However, the downward turning point for new cases of infection has not been observed yet (figure ). Notably, 159 confirmed cases have been reported in 23 other countries beyond China, including Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, the USA, Malaysia, and Germany. Because of the seriousness of this outbreak, WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern on Jan 30, 2020, followed by the USA announcing a public health emergency on Jan 31, 2020. Figure Cumulative and daily new confirmed and suspected cases of the 2019-nCoV outbreak in China. Data from the Chinese Center for Control and Prevention. During the epidemic, rapid and robust research is important to help guide clinical practices and public health policies. Zhu and colleagues sampled bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid from three patients and used next-generation sequencing and PCR to characterise the virus, and they identified the pathogen of this outbreak as a novel coronavirus that falls within the subgenus Sarbecovirus of the genus Betacoronavirus and confirmed the cytopathic effects (structural changes in host cells) of this virus. 1 Their achievement not only improves methods of diagnosis confirmation in clinics but also promotes the study of the underlying mechanisms of viral infection. 2 Subsequently, collaborations between Chinese and international scientists have rapidly unmasked some additional virological features of 2019-nCoV. A specific viral nucleic acid assay using RT-PCR was quickly developed for the diagnosis of 2019-nCoV infection.3, 4 Additionally, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 has been shown to be the putative receptor for the entry into host cells by use of bioinformatic prediction methods and in-vitro testing.2, 5, 6 Furthermore, bats are speculated to be the original host of this zoonotic virus, but whether an intermediate host facilitated the viral infection in humans is still unknown. 7 Lastly, evidence of person-to-person transmission is accumulating,8, 9 with an estimated R0 of 2·2 (95% CI 1·4–3·9), 10 and the assessment of the full extent of this mode of transmission is urgently needed. In The Lancet, two retrospective studies from Wuhan Jin Yin-tan Hospital have recently provided the first-hand evidence of epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological imaging, and outcomes among 41 patients 11 and 99 patients. 12 Of 99 patients with 2019-nCoV pneumonia, 12 the average age was 55·5 years (SD 13·1) and 50 (51%) patients had chronic diseases. Clinical manifestations were fever (82 [83%] patients), cough (81 [82%] patients), shortness of breath (31 [31%] patients), muscle ache (11 [11%] patients), confusion (nine [9%] patients), headache (eight [8%] patients), sore throat (five [5%] patients), rhinorrhoea (four [4%] patients), chest pain (two [2%] patients), diarrhoea (two [2%] patients), and nausea and vomiting (one [1%] patient). In view of the findings from both studies, as well as accumulated clinical experience, the next crucial step would be to identify the proper treatment for patients infected with 2019-nCoV. No fully proven and specific antiviral treatment for the coronavirus exists. Guidance from China's National Health Commission suggests taking an anti-HIV drug combination of lopinavir and ritonavir and inhaling a dose of nebulised interferon α for the antiviral therapy. 13 Many efforts, including several clinical trials, such as NCT04246242 and NCT04252664, are in progress to screen existing antiviral drugs to identify those that could be specific and efficient against 2019-nCoV. Notably, the first reported use of remdesivir, in the first diagnosed patient with 2019-nCoV infection in the USA, 14 has encouraged additional clinical study of this medication. More importantly, patients in critical conditions often develop serious complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (17 [17%] of 99 patients), 12 and thus medical groups should include physicians with expertise in both infectious diseases and critical care. It is noteworthy that patients in critical condition often show a reduction in peripheral blood lymphocytes.11, 12 Whether immune cells infiltrate into the lungs and then cause serious lung lesions (as occurred in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS]) 15 is not clear. Therefore, it is important to understand the lung microenvironment and the map of immune responses against 2019-nCoV infection, which might help to define clinical stages and uncover the pathogenesis of the disease. Recent data showed that most deaths were due to respiratory failure;11, 12 however, no reports of lung pathology in patients who died from 2019-nCoV infection have been reported so far. Notably, elderly men with 2019-nCoV infection and other underlying diseases often have a higher fatality rate than that of elderly women or younger and more healthy patients;11, 12 more studies are needed to determine the associated influencing factors underlying this finding. The development of more efficient and quicker methods for the detection of viral nucleic acids is needed to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis. Several challenges remain for basic research, including viral mutation rate and transmission, infectivity dynamics, and viral infection-associated pathogenicity in vivo. Some evidence has suggested that the virus can spread during the incubation period9, 16 and is detectable during the convalescent period. 16 Notably, the virus was found in the loose stool of a patient in the USA, 14 suggesting potential transmission through the faecal–oral route. It is of high priority to ascertain whether persistent asymptomatic carriers of 2019-nCoV exist and to reach an accurate definition of when a patient can be considered cured. Moreover, no certainty exists about the source of the outbreak, and a prophylactic vaccine is still under development. WHO has acknowledged the efforts made by the Chinese Government to investigate and contain the outbreak. 17 For example, authorities rapidly initiated the first measures to isolate Wuhan, which were then extended to the whole Hubei province, stranding 35 million residents during the heavy-travel Chinese Spring Festival holidays. At the same time, the two new-built hospitals in Wuhan have been put into use, with 2600 beds for the confirmed and suspected patients with pneumonia. The decision makers also extended the holiday period and postponed school openings. Additionally, at least 68 medical teams, including more than 8000 physicians and nurses, from other provinces and cities went to the most affected Hubei province to fight against the disease side by side with the local medical staff. 18 The Chinese Government has initiated at least 13 research programmes as an emergency measure to study the different aspects of the outbreak such as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of 2019-nCoV-associated disease. 19 Novel therapeutic approaches, including treatment with allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells, are expected to progress to clinical trials involving patients with 2019-nCoV infection in a critical condition when the projects meet both ethical requirements and the principle of informed consent (eg, NCT04252118). Furthermore, therapeutic drugs, protective equipment, and charitable funds from inside and outside of China are transported to the epidemic area to support the response. All these measures are aimed to maximise prevention and minimise the occurrence of new infections, which will help the in-time diagnosis and treatment of patients and protect the healthy population against viral infection not only in China but also in the rest of the world. China also faces other challenges, including asymptomatic carriers with 2019-nCoV might be a new potential source of infection; there will be a huge increase in people returning from trips after the Chinese Spring Festival vacation; and it may be difficult to control the outbreak due to the lack of adequate medical resources in epidemic communities and rural areas of Hubei province. First-line medical staff and scientists in China have had a leading role in fighting the outbreak of 2019-nCoV-associated pneumonia. The basic and essential strategies that we should stick to remain the early detection, early diagnosis, early isolation, and early treatment of the disease. With the huge efforts from medical professionals to treat patients, substantial public health prevention measures, and accelerated research, we hope the downward turning points for both new cases of 2019-nCoV and the resulting fatal events might come soon.

Introduction: The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 pandemic has expanded globally. The aim of the current study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health care professionals in Greece towards SARS-CoV-2. Methods: From 10–25 February 2020, 500 health care workers were approached. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards SARS-CoV-2 were assessed via a personal interview questionnaire. For knowledge, each correct answer was given 1 point; attitudes, or concerns aimed at prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and practices, or behaviors towards performing preventive practices, were assigned 1 point each. Points were summed and a score for each category was calculated. Results: A total of 461 health care workers returned the questionnaire and were included in the analysis (mean age ± SD: 44.2 ± 10.78 years, 74% females). The majority were nurses (47.5%), followed by physicians (30.5%) and paramedics (19%). The majority of subjects (88.28%) had a good level of knowledge (knowledge score equal to 4, or more). The majority of participants (71%) agreed with the temporary traveling restrictions ban. The uptake of a future vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at 43%. Knowledge score was significantly associated with both attitudes score (p = 0.011) and practices score (p < 0.001), indicating that subjects with a high knowledge score demonstrated a more positive perception on preventive measures and would practice more preventive measures. Attitudes score was significantly associated with practices score (p = 0.009) indicating that subjects with a higher attitudes score are more likely to perform practices towards the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Conclusion: There is a high level of knowledge concerning SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among Greek health care workers and this is significantly associated with positive attitudes and practices towards preventive health measures. The high level of knowledge of health professionals about SARS-CoV-2 may have contributed considerably to the successful management of the pandemic in Greece. Tailored educational campaigns aiming to increase the proportion of health care workers willing to accept a potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could be of paramount importance in future proactive vaccine educational campaigns.