Risk Communication and Community Attitude to Corona Virus Disease 2019 Outbreak in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: The global community is racing to slow down and eventually halt the spread of COVID-19. The success of the ongoing battle against this pandemic all over the world depends on community knowledge and perception. The objective of this study was to assess risk communication, knowledge and community attitudes to COVID-19 outbreaks in southwestern Nigeria. Methods: Community based descriptive cross-sectional study of risk communication, knowledge and community attitude to COVID-19 prevention and control among 1200 community persons selected using multistage sampling methods. Research instrument was a semi-structure interviewer administered questionnaire, and data analyzed using the IBM SPSS software version 23.0. Findings: Mean age of respondents was 36.0 ± 12.1 years, 735 (61.3%) were females and 465 (38.8%) were males. Majority of the respondents (97.5%) had heard about COVID-19, with the radio (65.2%) and television (60.4%) being the major sources of information. Only 455 (37.9%) think that they can get COVID-19, 738 (61.5%) said they were ready to willingly observe staying indoors or lockdown, only 525 (43.8%) have been putting on face mask. Respondents with good knowledge of COVID-19 transmission, symptoms and prevention were 39.6%, 88.7% and 94.5% respectively, while for good perception towards COVID-19 was 72.2%. Predictors of good knowledge of transmission and symptoms of COVID were respondents being above 19 years, being a male and having education level above secondary school. Predictors of good knowledge and perception of prevention and control measures of COVID were respondents being above 19 years, being a female and having education level above secondary school. Conclusion: Good awareness and poor knowledge of COVID-19 transmission, but good knowledge of prevention and good perception were reported among communities in Southwestern Nigeria. Only few believed they could get the disease. This calls for enlightenment campaign and good communication messages directed at the general population.