Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34288939›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Knowledge and awareness-based survey of COVID-19 within the eye care profession in Nepal: Misinformation is hiding the truth.

Sandip Das Sanyam, Sanjay Kumar Sah, Pankaj Chaudhary, Matthew J Burton, Jeremy J Hoffman

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Sandip Das SanyamSagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan, Nepal.ORCID 0000-0002-0554-8441
Sanjay Kumar SahBiratnagar Eye Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal.
Pankaj ChaudharySagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan, Nepal.
Matthew J BurtonInternational Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1872-9169
Jeremy J HoffmanSagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan, Nepal.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBBiratnagar Eye Hospital · NP

Funding

Wellcome Trust 207472/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNepal was under a severe lockdown for several months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were concerns regarding misinformation circulating on social media. This study aimed to analyse the knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 amongst eye care professionals in Nepal during the first wave of the pandemic. METHODOLOGY: We invited 600 participants from 12 ophthalmic centres across Nepal to complete a qualitative, anonymous online survey. Altogether, 25 questions (both open and closed-ended) were used. An overall performance score was calculated from the average of the 12 "Knowledge" questions for all the participants.

resultsOf the 600 eye care professionals invited, 310 (51%) participated in the survey. The symptoms of COVID-19 were known to 94%, whilst only 49% of the participants were aware how the disease was transmitted, with 54% aware that anyone can be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Almost 98% of participants recognized the World Health Organization's (WHO) awareness message, but surprisingly, 41% of participants felt that consumption of hot drinks helps to destroy the virus, in contradiction to WHO information. Importantly, 95% of the participants were aware of personal protective equipment (PPE) and what the acronym stands for. Social distancing was felt to be key to limiting the disease spread; whilst 41% disagreed that PPE should be mandatory for eye care practitioners. The mean overall "Knowledge" performance score was 69.65% (SD ± 22.81).

conclusionThere is still considerable scope to improve the knowledge of COVID-19 amongst ophthalmic professionals in Nepal. Opinion is also split on measures to prevent transmission, with misinformation potentially fuelling confusion. It is recommended to follow WHO and national guidelines, whilst seeking published scientific evidence behind any unofficial statements, to accurately inform one's clinical practice.

Indexed as

CommunicationEyeHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeSurveys and QuestionnairesAdultCOVID-19FemaleHealth PersonnelHumansMaleNepalPandemicsYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID34288939
PMCPMC8294537
OpenAlexW3185447909

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.