The ongoing outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease to as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threatens global health. The novel coronavirus is structurally related to the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and pneumonia [1]. The presence of pneumonia allowed COVID-19 to be identified. Close monitoring of the virus suggested a mean incubation period of 5 days; symptoms usually emerge in 1 week, including fever, cough, nasal congestion, and other signs of upper respiratory tract infection, which can progress to more severe forms such as dyspnea [2].
COVID-19 spreads via respiratory secretions of infected persons when they cough or sneeze, especially in poorly ventilated or crowded places. Patients with diabetes tend to experience more severity [3]. Although COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease, most infected recover without special treatment – a global mortality rate of about 2% [4]. However, older people and those with chronic disease conditions such as cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory diseases are more likely to develop severe illnesses. For instance, diabetic patients tend to have poor health outcomes from COVID-19 and higher mortality [3].
No medicine for treating COVID-19 is currently available, although various clinical trials are being conducted to evaluate potential treatments. It means that prevention of infection is the only way to control the outbreak. The best way to prevent and slow transmission is to ensure people are well informed about COVID-19 and understand how it spreads, along with basic preventative measures. The simple daily actions that can help prevent the spread of the virus include social distancing, wearing face masks, washing hands or using alcohol-based sanitizers, staying home when experiencing any symptoms to avoid spreading illness to others.
1.1 Burden of Covid-19
COVID-19 has negatively affected many sectors of the economy, including health, business, education, the aviation industry, tourism, and others. In terms of the impact on society in general, a study that explored differences in the socioeconomic impact of Ebola virus disease and COVID-19 in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo reported that COVID-19 had a more significant adverse effect on the economy than Ebola virus disease, despite the lower mortality rate of COVID-19 [5]. This economic impact can be attributed to factors such as implementing preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, curfews) that meant people spent less time socializing spots, including in cafes and restaurants. Business owners were also adversely affected by staff issues, with staff morale affected by the uncertainty surrounding salary cuts and employment termination [6]. An analysis of the impact of the pandemic on small businesses in the United States reported that business dropped by around 13.8 million through February, March, and April 2020 [7].
Preventive measures such as social distancing and lockdowns also restricted movements of people within and across countries. Increased demand for transport resulted in higher fares and costs of transporting goods, which was catastrophic for emerging economies such as Nigeria [8]. During the second quarter of 2020, transportation dropped drastically around the world. On average, commercial travel dropped by 75% and shipping dropped by almost 50% on average from 75% in mid-April 2020 [9]. Travel restrictions also impacted tourism. It affected developed countries like Europe and less developed countries such as the Maldives or Seychelles, which experienced a massive loss of livelihood [10].
The education sector also suffered adverse consequences from the pandemic, including temporary school closures, which affected about 60% of students globally [11]. All schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were temporarily closed, and new teaching methods (such as online learning) were introduced [11]. The UAE Al Qassimi Foundation indicated that students, staff, and parents experienced high stress during this time [12]. Working parents and students with special needs also faced significant difficulties with the new teaching/learning methods, although support was provided (such as free Internet packages, tutorials) [12].
The pandemic impacted social relationships through fear of contact with other people, especially as families were anxious about losing a family member to COVID-19 [13]. Limits on physical contact may have caused distress for many people, especially those separated from loved ones or trapped in foreign countries because of flight restrictions.
The COVID-19 also has had an even bigger impact on hospitals and other healthcare facilities in general [14]. For example, during the pandemic, patients with chronic conditions or those who required less urgent care resulted in many patients avoiding visiting hospitals. This in turn resulted in financial losses [15]. In response, hospitals adopted better hygiene practices because of COVID-19, although many hospitals have not sustained these practices, which in turn increased the possibility of healthcare workers getting infected [16]. Practices refer to the professional handling and treatment of patients, which may include protecting healthcare workers and effective handling and treatment of their COVID-19 and non-Covid-19 patients.
A study by Shaukat and colleagues noted that healthcare workers handling Covid-19 cases are at increased risk of negative impact on their physical and mental health [17]. Their scoping review found that this could be attributed to multiple factors, including working in high-risk areas and having close contact with patients (e.g., over 12 times per day for more than 15 hours). Common symptoms among healthcare workers were fever (85%), cough (70%), and weakness (70%), and using personal protective equipment for an extended period also led to damage of the skin (97%) and nasal bridge (83%) [17]. In addition, healthcare workers experienced high levels of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, wherein nurses and female healthcare workers were found to be highly affected [17].
A recent study from Saudi Arabia showed that healthcare workers had relatively low knowledge about the causative agent of COVID-19 (45%), although knowledge of risk factors for COVID-19 (e.g., close contact with infected people) and the use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 was higher (97% and 63%, respectively) [18]. That study also demonstrated that most healthcare workers (92%) are afraid of being carriers of the virus and being potential sources of infection to their families. Thus, most of them cleaned their hands as often as they could (87%) and wearing masks (71%) [18].
Given that their exposure to patients, healthcare workers are at risk for contracting COVID-19, and therefore essential to ensure that all healthcare workers have appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and professional practices to reduce the realise positive outcomes for themselves and their patients. The primary aim of this study is to identify the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of health professionals related to COVID-19 among healthcare workers in the UAE. This information is essential as the knowledge, attitudes and professional practices toward COVID-19 adopted by healthcare workers affect their ability to treat and manage confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.