Background: COVID-19 is a global emergency that is rapidly spreading throughout the world; subsequently causing great damage to the global economy and health-care. Knowledge and awareness are key elements to stimulate self-imposed preventive measures.

Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 and the practice of hygiene measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. All individuals who were 18 years or older were included in the study. The individuals who had no formal education were excluded from the study. A self-reported questionnaire assessing the knowledge, awareness, and practices of participants was distributed among participants. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 was used for analysis.

Results: The mean age ± SD of the study population was 25.11 ± 7.822. In our study, 424 (98.6%) participants were aware that COVID-19 is caused by a virus and the majority of them were knowledgeable about the mode of transmission of the disease. Higher education status and the medical profession were associated with the better practice of preventive measures.

Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings indicate that the participants were well-informed about the COVID-19 pandemic and practiced appropriate measures to prevent the spread.

 

Keywords: COVID-19; disease control; handwashing; mask; knowledge; pandemic, practice; prevention; public; SARS; social distance