Knowledge And Attitude Towards Home Quarantine Instructions and Association with Covid-19 Infection History in Malaysia

Abstract Introduction: As COVID-19 entered the endemic phase, a large cohort of individuals infected with COVID-19 were required to undergo home quarantine. These individuals must adhere to home quarantine instructions and be equipped with appropriate knowledge to recognize the warning signs of COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the public knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions and their association with a history of previous COVID-19 infections. Methods: This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted among the public in Malaysia. All Malaysian adults over 18 years of age were included. The structured questionnaire consisted of four domains: (1) demographic data; (2) knowledge about home quarantine instructions; (3) knowledge of deterioration signs of COVID-19; (4) attitude towards home quarantine instructions. Knowledge regarding home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs was measured using “True,” “False,” or “I’m not sure.” Attitude towards home quarantine instructions was measured using a five-point Likert Scale, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Results: 1,036 respondents were analyzed, comprised mostly of females (743, 71.6%) with a history of COVID-19 (673, 64.9%) In the knowledge domain, 80% of the respondents answered 9 out of 11 home quarantine instructions statements correctly. 457 (44.1%) were unaware or unsure about the minimum distance of the infected individual's bed from the rest of the occupants in a shared bedroom. The respondents reported relatively weaker knowledge of identifying anuria (162, 44.5%), ingestion problems (191, 52.5%), and immobility (195, 53.6%) as warning signs of COVID-19 deterioration. Most respondents demonstrated positive attitudes towards home quarantine instructions. Respondents with a previous history of COVID-19 infections had better knowledge than COVID-19 naïve individuals. Conclusion: The respondents’ knowledge and attitudes towards most home quarantine instructions were satisfactory. However, weak knowledge was detected for several uncommon COVID-19 warning signs. Besides, knowledge regarding physical distancing in room sharing and movement limits within the house was unsatisfactory, necessitating the inclusion of such aspects in future educational initiatives.