ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND PERCEPTION OF NIGERIAN MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS ON COVID-19 AND ITS TREATMENT USING ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS

Background Pharmaceutical interventions are being investigated as possible treatment options for COVID-19. Antimalarial drugs-Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are also being investigated in clinical trials due to their antiviral effects though their efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 is largely inconclusive. This study assessed the knowledge, perception and practice of prescribing these drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 by practicing medical doctors in Nigeria. Materials and methods The survey was conducted online using Google forms sent via a link on WhatsApp© and Facebook© through the authors’ contacts to medical doctors in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria from April-May, 2020. Ethical issues were addressed by ensuring the anonymity of respondents, voluntary participation and non-incentivized. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the mean and frequencies of data generated using SPSS version 22. Results Responses were obtained from 145 medical doctors with mean age 37.78±6.47 years and 10.9±5.58 years of practice experience. All the respondents knew that the virus affects the lungs. Over 48% of the doctors believed in the efficacy of the antimalarial drugs and more than half of them thought it would be more effective for mild disease presentation. About 46.8% of respondents agreed to prescribe the drug to COVID-19 patients and most based their decisions on case reports, recommendations of NCDC or WHO. However, 75.9% believed a randomized control trial should be conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of the drugs. Conclusion Practicing doctors in Nigeria are knowledgeable on COVID-19 and their perceptions and decision to prescribe antimalarial drugs are largely dependent on clinical trial outcomes.