Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Malaysian Residence toward Prevalent of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Early Period of Outbreak: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease that affects the respiratory system. It has been declared as a global pandemic problem health with a progressive increase in cases and deaths across the globe. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) are cornerstone towards the prevention and control of the disease outbreak that highly depends on the awareness of people at all levels. It may be useful when planning a health education program on this infectious disease. The present study aims to measure the level of awareness on KAP of Malaysian towards COVID-19 during the rapid rise period of the outbreak in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Malaysian between 30th March and 21th May 2020. The overall KAP were analyzed using a total score based on Bloom’s cut-off point of 80%. The findings of this study showed that the majority of the participants had a good knowledge of the disease, positive attitude, and good practice towards protective measures. Although the results are very positive, it is suggested that community should continue to strengthen the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards against the COVID-19 or any new emerging infectious disease, so that Malaysia can win the battle against the disease