Dataset Information

Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Perception of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.

ABSTRACT: In late November 2021, a new SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern (VOC) named Omicron (initially named B.1.1.529) was first detected in South Africa. The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant became globally dominant, and the currently available COVID-19 vaccines showed less protection against this variant. This study aimed to investigate healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge and perceptions about the novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. A cross-sectional anonymous electronic survey concerning the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was conducted among HCWs during the second week of January 2022. The survey instrument was distributed through social media among HCWs to explore awareness (2 items), knowledge (10 items), source of information (1 item), and perceptions (10 items). Respondents who answered ≥80% of the items correctly were considered as having good knowledge and perception. A total of 940 of the 1054 HCW participants completed the survey (response rate: 89.1%); they had a mean age of 31.2 ± 11.2 years, most were doctors (45.7%), and most were from Asia (64.3%). All the participants were aware of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (100%). Only 36.3% attended lectures/discussions about Omicron and used news media to obtain information. Only a quarter of the HCWs demonstrated good knowledge (24.3%, n = 228) and perception (20.6%) about Omicron. However, while significant differences were observed in the knowledge and perception among HCWs, only a small proportion of doctors exhibited good knowledge (13%) and perception (10%) about the Omicron variant. HCWs who had participated in training/discussion related to the Omicron variant were more likely to have higher knowledge and perception scores (odds ratio: 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-3.11). As the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the globe, ongoing educational interventions are warranted to improve knowledge and perceptions of HCWs.

SUBMITTER: Bhagavathula AS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8951382 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Perception of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.

Bhagavathula Akshaya Srikanth AS Mahabadi Mohammadjavad Ashrafi MA Tesfaye Wubshet W Nayar Kesavan Rajasekharan KR Chattu Vijay Kumar VK

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) 20220225 3

In late November 2021, a new SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern (VOC) named Omicron (initially named B.1.1.529) was first detected in South Africa. The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant became globally dominant, and the currently available COVID-19 vaccines showed less protection against this variant. This study aimed to investigate healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge and perceptions about the novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. A cross-sectional anonymous electronic survey concerning the ...[more]

PMID: 35326916

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Project description:ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to first assess the knowledge and perception of first-year university students in Iraq about COVID-19 in general and SARS-CoV-2 latest variant of concern, and to evaluate the attitudes towards protection measures including vaccination.Study designA cross-sectional study was conducted among newly enrolled students at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test an association between the outcomes measured on a 5-point Likert scale and the binary and the categorical independent variables, respectively. χ2 test was used to test the association between nominal categorical variables, while Kendall's τ-b was used for ordinal variables.ParticipantsStudents (n=432) were invited to fill out a survey specifically tailored to assess their knowledge, perception and attitude towards Omicron variant and COVID-19 vaccines acceptance. 363 students enrolled in various majors participated in this study.ResultsAssessment of COVID-19 knowledge and perception revealed that students still lack reliable info and data about FDA-approved treatment options (70.5%), SARS-CoV-2 variants (96.5%) and approved vaccines. Students' attitude and practices towards recommended safety measures should be reassessed to better manage the pandemic. Adherence level was shown to be associated with the belief in its capacity to effectively manage the new variant. Interestingly, 85% of the students have received at least one dose of approved vaccine. A significant positive correlation was detected between the level of adherence to recommended precautions and the intention to take a third booster shot if proven effective.ConclusionsStudents' reliable knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic including the various strains and approved vaccines should be improved to better manage the pandemic and set foundations for a more appropriate approach when another pandemic occurs. Special workshops should be organised to ensure that students and the public have a more trusted source of information about COVID-19.

Project description:Mucosal immunity plays a pivotal role in providing comprehensive protection against upper-airway infections and effectively limiting the shedding and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Despite its critical importance, there remains a notable absence of nasal spray vaccines endorsed for global use by the World Health Organization. This could be due to the inability of current intranasal vaccines to induce strong mucosal and systemic responses in humans, thus urgently entailing a next-generation of intranasal COVID-19 vaccines with novel and safe technologies. In this study, we prepared a two-component intranasal vaccine that combines adenovirus vectors with a self-assembled subunit protein. Specifically, the adenovirus vector expresses the spike protein of XBB.1.5 variant (Ad5XBB.1.5), and were mixed with the recombinant protein that developed derived from the receptor binding domain (RBD) of XBB.1.5 (RBDXBB.1.5-HR). Combination of Ad5XBB.1.5 and RBDXBB.1.5-HR elicited superior humoral and cellular immunity against XBB.1.5-included variants compared with the individual components. Importantly, the STING signaling pathway was found to be crucial for the adjuvant effect of the adenovirus vector. In addition, to increase the broad-spectrum neutralizing capacities, a trimeric protein derived from the BA.5 variant (RBDBA.5-HR) was incorporated to formulate a three-component vaccine (Ad5XBB.1.5+RBDXBB.1.5-HR+RBDBA.5-HR), indicating the utilization of a combination of an adenovirus-vectored and subunit protein vaccines has the potential to serve as a next-generation intranasal vaccine platform. Of note, intranasally delivery of two-component vaccine provided protective immunity against live Omicron XBB.1.16 virus challenge in mice. Furthermore, the combination of adenovirus and subunit protein vaccine demonstrates excellent tolerability and safety in human subjects, and is able to induce enhanced mucosal immunity as well as high levels of sera neutralizing antibody in all participants. These findings underscore its suitability for clinical application in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 variants encompassing XBB lineages.

Dataset Information

Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Perception of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.

Publications

Healthcare Workers' Knowledge and Perception of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.

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