Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave

Health care workers (HCWs) face a higher risk of infection, since they work at the front line of COVID-19 patients’ management. Misinterpretations of current scientific evidence among HCWs may impact the delivery of appropriate care to COVID-19 patients and increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmissi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Petros Ioannou, Stamatis Karakonstantis, Anna Mathioudaki, Angelos Sourris, Vasiliki Papakosta, Periklis Panagopoulos, Vasilis Petrakis, Dimitrios Papazoglou, Kostoula Arvaniti, Christina Maria Trakatelli, Evgenia Christodoulou, Garyfallia Poulakou, Konstantinos N. Syrigos, Vasiliki Rapti, Konstantinos Leontis, Dimitrios Karapiperis, Diamantis P. Kofteridis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/6/3/136
id doaj-31d336ec0eb042f398835696fa5f3344
record_format Article
spelling doaj-31d336ec0eb042f398835696fa5f33442021-09-26T01:34:16ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662021-07-01613613610.3390/tropicalmed6030136Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic WavePetros Ioannou0Stamatis Karakonstantis1Anna Mathioudaki2Angelos Sourris3Vasiliki Papakosta4Periklis Panagopoulos5Vasilis Petrakis6Dimitrios Papazoglou7Kostoula Arvaniti8Christina Maria Trakatelli9Evgenia Christodoulou10Garyfallia Poulakou11Konstantinos N. Syrigos12Vasiliki Rapti13Konstantinos Leontis14Dimitrios Karapiperis15Diamantis P. Kofteridis16Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Alexandroupoli, 68100 Alexandroupoli, GreeceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Alexandroupoli, 68100 Alexandroupoli, GreeceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Alexandroupoli, 68100 Alexandroupoli, GreeceInfection Control Unit, COVID-19 Coordinating Team, General Hospital Papageorgiou, 56403 Thessaloniki, GreeceInfection Control Unit, COVID-19 Coordinating Team, General Hospital Papageorgiou, 56403 Thessaloniki, GreeceInfection Control Unit, COVID-19 Coordinating Team, General Hospital Papageorgiou, 56403 Thessaloniki, GreeceThird Department of Medicine, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, 11527 Athens, GreeceThird Department of Medicine, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, 11527 Athens, GreeceThird Department of Medicine, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, 11527 Athens, GreeceThird Department of Medicine, Thoracic Diseases General Hospital Sotiria, 11527 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Infectious Diseases, 424 General Military Teaching Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, GreeceHealth care workers (HCWs) face a higher risk of infection, since they work at the front line of COVID-19 patients’ management. Misinterpretations of current scientific evidence among HCWs may impact the delivery of appropriate care to COVID-19 patients and increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the hospital setting. Moreover, knowledge may affect HCWs perceptions depending on their broad beliefs and past experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions of HCWs regarding COVID-19 issues during the second wave of the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey, involving a printed questionnaire, was conducted from 21 October 2020 to 31 January 2021 in four tertiary care hospitals located at four distant geographical regions in Greece. In total, 294 HCWs participated in this study. The majority of HCWs provided precise responses regarding general knowledge, perceptions, and practices concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. However, responses on hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in HCWs with COVID-19 were mistaken. This study reveals a certain degree of misconceptions and knowledge gaps in HCWs everyday practice, especially regarding hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in COVID-19 patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/6/3/136COVID-19SARS-CoV-2healthcare workersattitudesperceptionsknowledge
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Petros Ioannou
Stamatis Karakonstantis
Anna Mathioudaki
Angelos Sourris
Vasiliki Papakosta
Periklis Panagopoulos
Vasilis Petrakis
Dimitrios Papazoglou
Kostoula Arvaniti
Christina Maria Trakatelli
Evgenia Christodoulou
Garyfallia Poulakou
Konstantinos N. Syrigos
Vasiliki Rapti
Konstantinos Leontis
Dimitrios Karapiperis
Diamantis P. Kofteridis
spellingShingle Petros Ioannou
Stamatis Karakonstantis
Anna Mathioudaki
Angelos Sourris
Vasiliki Papakosta
Periklis Panagopoulos
Vasilis Petrakis
Dimitrios Papazoglou
Kostoula Arvaniti
Christina Maria Trakatelli
Evgenia Christodoulou
Garyfallia Poulakou
Konstantinos N. Syrigos
Vasiliki Rapti
Konstantinos Leontis
Dimitrios Karapiperis
Diamantis P. Kofteridis
Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
healthcare workers
attitudes
perceptions
knowledge
author_facet Petros Ioannou
Stamatis Karakonstantis
Anna Mathioudaki
Angelos Sourris
Vasiliki Papakosta
Periklis Panagopoulos
Vasilis Petrakis
Dimitrios Papazoglou
Kostoula Arvaniti
Christina Maria Trakatelli
Evgenia Christodoulou
Garyfallia Poulakou
Konstantinos N. Syrigos
Vasiliki Rapti
Konstantinos Leontis
Dimitrios Karapiperis
Diamantis P. Kofteridis
author_sort Petros Ioannou
title Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
title_short Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
title_full Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
title_fullStr Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
title_full_unstemmed Knowledge and Perceptions about COVID-19 among Health Care Workers: Evidence from COVID-19 Hospitals during the Second Pandemic Wave
title_sort knowledge and perceptions about covid-19 among health care workers: evidence from covid-19 hospitals during the second pandemic wave
publisher MDPI AG
series Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease
issn 2414-6366
publishDate 2021-07-01
description Health care workers (HCWs) face a higher risk of infection, since they work at the front line of COVID-19 patients’ management. Misinterpretations of current scientific evidence among HCWs may impact the delivery of appropriate care to COVID-19 patients and increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the hospital setting. Moreover, knowledge may affect HCWs perceptions depending on their broad beliefs and past experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions of HCWs regarding COVID-19 issues during the second wave of the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey, involving a printed questionnaire, was conducted from 21 October 2020 to 31 January 2021 in four tertiary care hospitals located at four distant geographical regions in Greece. In total, 294 HCWs participated in this study. The majority of HCWs provided precise responses regarding general knowledge, perceptions, and practices concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. However, responses on hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in HCWs with COVID-19 were mistaken. This study reveals a certain degree of misconceptions and knowledge gaps in HCWs everyday practice, especially regarding hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in COVID-19 patients.
topic COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
healthcare workers
attitudes
perceptions
knowledge
url https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/6/3/136
work_keys_str_mv AT petrosioannou knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT stamatiskarakonstantis knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT annamathioudaki knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT angelossourris knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT vasilikipapakosta knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT periklispanagopoulos knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT vasilispetrakis knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT dimitriospapazoglou knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT kostoulaarvaniti knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT christinamariatrakatelli knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT evgeniachristodoulou knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT garyfalliapoulakou knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT konstantinosnsyrigos knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT vasilikirapti knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT konstantinosleontis knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT dimitrioskarapiperis knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
AT diamantispkofteridis knowledgeandperceptionsaboutcovid19amonghealthcareworkersevidencefromcovid19hospitalsduringthesecondpandemicwave
_version_ 1716868678433112065