Knowledge and Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures: A Continental Review
Abstract
Background: The burden of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been on
the rise since it was first reported in December 2019. COVID-19 has devastated global
economy, public health, social interaction, and has claimed millions of lives globally
within a few months. Due to the severe effect of some of the instituted guidelines
on citizens and the economy, some of the policies in place to curtail the spread were
receded. Hence, the present review aims to assess existing literature on the knowledge
and adherence of Africans toward the COVID-19 preventive measures.
Methods: Studies focused on Africans’ knowledge and adherence to COVID-19
preventive measures were selected using Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed
databases. Preprints that have not been peer-reviewed, reviews, and non-COVID-19
studies were excluded.
Results: All selected studies showed a satisfactory knowledge of respondents about
COVID-19 but poor level of adherence to the preventive measures. Good knowledge
and satisfactory level of adherence was common mostly among the clinical health
workers, highly educated, and those with higher professional qualification, while poor
knowledge and poor practice was observed mostly among rural dwellers, people of
poor educational background, and those unable to read and write.
Conclusion: This review identified a relatively good knowledge about COVID-19 from
all the studies, however, the level of adherence to preventive measures was poor. We
recommend that the populace adhere to the laid guidelines to ensure the spread of
the virus is curbed while also enhancing the eradication of the pandemic.
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