COVID-19 Perception, Attitude, and Communication (COVPAC) Survey;the Value of Perceived Risk to Adherence (preprint)

Aim: An understanding of the following;the level of knowledge, perception, attitudes, and the nature of risk communication to a population is important to national efforts at disease control in a situation of epidemic and pandemic. To this end, it was aimed to provide insight on the knowledge, perception, and attitude towards coronavirus disease-19 prevention, particularly, towards communication and adherence to protocols. The survey was carried out during the second wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infections and the reopening of schools in the country. Subjects and methods : A cross-sectional online survey with a self-administered Knowledge-Attitude-Practise questionnaire was conducted between January and February 2021. Overall, two hundred and eight (208) cohorts were reached via WhatsApp by a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. Results: Although, the demographic information was generally unbiased, the educational level showed that the findings were mainly skewed towards the high-end of the educated in Ghana. It was evident that there were non-coronavirus disease-19 related prevention actions that complemented the COVID-19 prevention protocol. Additionally, self-driven factors were the least source of motivation to adhering to prevention protocols, while other people’s behaviour and new COVID-19 related information and related risk of harm to pupils were the most motivating factors on the perceptions on adherence to the prevention protocols. Conclusion: The study provides useful insights on a section of the population that is the high-end of the expectations on adherence. This, therefore, forms a useful basis for what should be expected among the general population and for newer prevention actions such as the ongoing vaccination campaigns.