A cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitude and practice of students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences towards Covid-19

: Background and Objectives: With the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic in December 2019, healthcare systems faced an unprecedented challenge. Medical and paramedical students are the front-line warriors in this combat. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences towards COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from October 2020 to March 2021 on students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences who passed the microbiology course. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic data, COVID-19 related knowledge, Attitudes towards COVID-19, and participants' practice. Finally, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 19 and a significance level of 0.05 was considered in all tests. Results: A total of 329 medical, dentistry, pharmacy, and laboratory sciences students participated in this study. Knowledge of COVID-19 disease had a mean of 10.26 ± 1.21 out of 12. Only 103 of the 329 people in the study (31.3%) said they had been in crowded places in recent days. 98.5% wore masks. More than half of the students had a positive attitude towards COVID-19 control. The average knowledge was higher in girls and medical and laboratory sciences students (p = 0.008). Students' knowledge was inversely related to their practice of wearing a mask (p = 0.015). Conclusion: Students had a high level of knowledge about COVID-19. But at the same time, they had misconceptions that should be included in educational programs. Medical sciences students should not be reluctant to neglect preventive behaviors by relying on their high level of knowledge about COVID-19 and trying to be a good role models for others.