Knowledge, awareness, and perception of healthcare professionals towards Long COVID in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION

Long COVID is a complex condition with prolonged symptoms that develop after COVID-19 infection and continue beyond 12 weeks. This study aimed to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of Long COVID in Nigeria.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using multistage random sampling was conducted amongst licensed healthcare professionals in Nigeria, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and medical laboratory scientists. A validated questionnaire was administered to practitioners in selected health facilities. Data from 405 respondents were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.

RESULTS

A total of 405 valid responses were obtained, reflecting a response rate of 81%. Male and female participants were of similar proportions, as indicated by 50.1 and 49.9%, respectively. Over a quarter (26.3%) of the sample were not aware of Long COVID, and of the respondents who had heard about the condition, more than half (58.5%) indicated that they obtained their information from the internet. Participants' understanding of Long COVID was assessed to be limited, with a mean knowledge score of 6.38 ± 2.86. As indicated by more than half (50.5%) of the study cohort, there is a lack of prioritisation in the management of post-COVID symptoms in Nigeria, as well as inadequate frameworks to mitigate the effects of the condition (45.1%). Male participants had significantly higher knowledge scores than females, with p = 0.006 and a standardised beta coefficient of 0.158, indicating a small-to-moderate effect size.

CONCLUSION

The study identified knowledge gaps amongst healthcare professionals in Nigeria regarding Long COVID and provides baseline evidence to inform the development of diagnostic, preventive, and context-appropriate management strategies for the condition.