Article Sidebar
Published:
Aug 23, 2024Keywords:
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The author(s) keep(s) the copyright to his/their article if and when the article is accepted for publication. The copyright covers the exclusive and unlimited rights to reproduce and distribute the article in any form of reproduction (printing, electronic media or any other form); it also covers translation rights for all languages and countries.
Main Article Content
Determining compliance with the COVID-19 daily symptom monitoring tool used to identify suspected COVID-19 workers of the military health support formation employees of the South African national defence force
Abstract
Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic had prompted governments in many countries to enact laws and policies to combat the spread of COVID19 at work. The DEL required every worker to be screened when they arrived at work. Screening methods included self-reporting symptoms using a symptom monitoring tool. This study aimed to determine compliance with the symptom monitoring tool by assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the MHSF employees.
Methods: a cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to the employees. Information related to demographic, COVID-19 exposure, knowledge of COVID-19 and the symptom monitoring tool, attitude towards the symptom monitoring tool and practices towards COVID-19 and the symptom monitoring tool was collected.
Results: a total of 90 participants participated in the study. The majority (N=45; 50%) of respondents were aged between 30 and 39 years old, with more female (N=50) than male (N=40) participants. The majority (N=51; 56.7%) only had grade 12 as the highest level of education. There were 25% (N=10) of males and 20% (N=10) of females who contracted COVID-19. The relationship between the COVID-19 positive cases and the symptom monitoring tool identifying symptoms had a strong negative correlation (- 0.932). Respondent's knowledge of COVID-19 and the symptom monitoring tool was moderate (72.4%), with the attitude to the symptom monitoring tool being moderate (63.3%) as well. However, the practices of the COVID-19 guidelines and the symptom monitoring tool were good (93.3%).
Conclusion: the employees of the MHSF complied with the completion of the daily symptom monitoring tool. There was decent knowledge of COVID-19 and the symptom monitoring tool, with a moderate attitude and good practices towards COVID-19 and completing the tool. The tool was able to identify suspected COVID-19 cases, which possibly reduced the spread of the virus in the workplace.
