Advances in Nutrition & Food Science Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related To Middle East Respiratory Syndrome- Coronavirus among Residents of Riyadh: A Cross-Sectional Study

MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) originated in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and the number of cases and deaths is continuing to rise. The epidemiology of MERS-CoV has been thoroughly analyzed, but there are few reports on the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of healthcare workers towards the infection in Riyadh. The objective of this research was to assess the KAP of the general public towards MERS-CoV. This cross-sectional study involved 309 participants in Riyadh. The overall mean scores for knowledge was 3.43 (SD: 0.54), for attitude against prevention was 3.0 (SD: 0.67), and for practices was 3.7 (SD: 0.72), indicating good KP and satisfactory A. Scores only differed by nationality (P <0.001) (age, education, income and gender were non-significant). We recommend various strategies to keep the public updated about the current situation, and about advances in prevention and treatment. Further multi-regions studies with large sample size are needed to build upon the findings of current study. Asmaa Alyaemni* Introduction Since 2012, the Middle East has been threatened by MERSCoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus), which has now become a global threat, as there is no vaccine or curative treatment. Both the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have provided preventive guidelines and protective measures against its spread [1]. Nevertheless, the spread in Saudi Arabia is still of great concern; Between 2012 and 02 December 2016, 1841 laboratory confirmed cases were reported to WHO, 80% of whom were reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Between 6 and 13 December 2016 the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported ten additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The MOH reported 1373 confirmed cases and a total of 591 deaths as of 10 May 2016 [2]. From June 2012 to April 2015, MERSCoV has infected 981 people in Saudi Arabia, accounting for approximately 89% of global cases. The 428 deaths account for 93.8% of global deaths. More than 26 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe have identified cases of infection. In 2014, the USA reported the presence of MERS-CoV in two individuals who had returned from Saudi Arabia [3]. Moreover, the eight countries in Europe that have diagnosed cases have had a direct or indirect connection with Saudi Arabia [4,5]. MERS-CoV not like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of MERS-CoV are nonspecific and early identification of patients with MERS-CoV is not always possible. MERS-CoV might remain asymptomatic or may cause very severe pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure and septic shock resulting in death. MERS-CoV usually targets immune-compromised individuals or individuals who have other chronic illnesses or comorbidities. The source of this virus is still unknown; however, emerging indications are that the dromedary camel is a host for MERS-CoV for humans [6]. Bats may be the natural reservoir for the virus [7]. From the first zoonotic transmission, followed by transmission through health care facilities by human-to-human transmission, the virus can now spread far and wide by means of air travel [8]. During the season of Umrah and Hajj, 2 million to 2.5 million pilgrims from all over the world including domestic pilgrims, enter the Holy cities, namely Madina and Makkah. The government and health ministry need to monitor carefully all measures taken to control the spread of MERS-CoV from these centers to the rest of the world. No cases have been reported in the limited season of the Hajj, but numerous cases have been reported during Umrah, the term for pilgrimage taken at any other time of the year. Since little is known about transmission and prevention, the probability of outbreak during Hajj should not be taken lightly by health authorities [9]. Thus, it is important to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of locals as they participate in Holy rituals and are affected by the presence of the huge crowd. Moreover, previous studies conducted in Saudi Arabia have evaluated knowledge, attitude and practices of ISSN: 2572-5971