AWARENESS REGARDING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG FIRST YEAR MBBS STUDENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL IN NAVI MUMBAI.
Main Article Content
Keywords
COVID-19, awareness, medical students, vaccine perception, prevention
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 emerged as a global public health emergency in early 2020, leading to significant morbidity, mortality, and social disruption. Medical students, being future healthcare professionals, play a vital role in disseminating accurate information and practicing preventive measures. This study aimed to assess the awareness and perception regarding COVID-19 and its vaccination among first-year MBBS students during the early phase of vaccine rollout in India.
Methodology: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in January 2021 among first-year MBBS students at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Navi Mumbai. A semi-structured Google Form was used to collect data on awareness about COVID-19 transmission, preventive practices and vaccines. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.
Results: A total of 208 students participated (69.2% females, 30.8% males). Nearly all respondents (99.5%) were aware of COVID-19 and its preventive measures. About 95.2% correctly identified Covaxin and Covishield as vaccines approved in India, and 83.2% expressed willingness to take the vaccine. Most students adhered to hand hygiene, mask use, and physical distancing.
Conclusion: The study revealed high awareness and positive attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and vaccination among medical students. Continuous education and reinforcement of infection control measures are recommended to enhance preparedness for future pandemics.
References
2) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. COVID-19 India Dashboard. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2020. Available from: https://www.mohfw.gov.in
3) Zhong BL, Luo W, Li HM, Zhang QQ, Liu XG, Li WT, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among Chinese residents during the rapid rise period of the COVID-19 outbreak: A quick online cross-sectional survey. Int J Biol Sci. 2020;16(10):1745–1752.
4) Drugs Controller General of India. Press Release: Approval of COVID-19 Vaccines Covishield and Covaxin for Restricted Emergency Use in India. New Delhi: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO); 2021. Available from: https://cdsco.gov.in
5) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India launches world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive – 16 January 2021. New Delhi: MoHFW; 2021. Available from: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/covid_vaccination/vaccination_update.html
6) Maheshwari S, Gupta PK, Sinha R, Rawat P. Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among medical students: A cross-sectional study. J Acute Dis. 2020;9(3):100–104.
7) Saqlain M, Munir MM, Rehman SU, Gulzar A, Naz S, Ahmed Z, et al. Knowledge, attitude, practice and perceived barriers among healthcare professionals regarding COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey from Pakistan. J Hosp Infect. 2020;105(3):419–423.
8) Taghrir MH, Borazjani R, Shiraly R. COVID-19 and Iranian medical students; a survey on their related knowledge, preventive behaviors and risk perception. Arch Iran Med. 2020;23(4):249–254.
9) Kumar R, Singh N, Kaur M, Arora S. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and its correlates among Indian medical students: A cross-sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2021;8(6):2835–2840.
10) Sharma P, Kaur R, Singh R. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in India during the initial phase of vaccination. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021;17(12):5027–5033.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Dr. Sheena Ann Mammen
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. D Y Patil Medical College,
Navi Mumbai
Dr. Sumedha M Joshi
Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. D Y Patil Medical College,
Navi Mumbai
Dr. Deepa H Velankar
Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Dr. D Y Patil Medical College,
Navi Mumbai