TY - JOUR
AR - COR-2021-7-103
TI - COVID-19 Infection – Awareness and Practices of Cancer Patients and Their Attendants: An Experience from Pakistan
AU - Afshan , Asghar Rasheed
AU - Babar , Malik
AU - Narjis, Muzaffar
AU - Aneeta, Vallecha
AU - Sara, Sattar
AU - Noor, -ul-Ain
AU - Najeeb, Naimatullah
JO - Clinical Oncology and Research
PY - 2021
DA - Tue 13, Jul 2021
SN - 2613-4942
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.COR.2021.07.03
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/covid-19-infection-awareness-and-practices-of-cancer-patients_COR-2021-7-103 
KW - Cancer patients, health awareness, under-developed countries
AB - Introduction: Cancer patients are prone to infections, including COVID-19 because they are immune-comprised secondary to cancer itself as well as due to their treatment. As a principal health care provider, it is imperative that their awareness and practices should be assessed and rectified in a timely manner.
Methodology & Results: This is a cross sectional and prospective study, performed in the Oncology OPD of SIUT, Pakistan. Total 306 participants were included. Average percentage of awareness was 39.4% vs 36.6% were found to be low, but patient (72.7%) showed more careful behaviour then their care taker (61.5%). In query related to use of face mask every time while being outside the house, 14.4% vs 23.8% did not practice it. For hand hygiene, 93.4% vs 49.1% were following these measures. Reasons for not following these precautions were: i) lack of information, 63% vs 37% ii) this virus is not lethal, 37% vs 63%.
Conclusion: Awareness and practical implementation of knowledge is not according to international guidelines and there is a dire need to have a proper awareness campaign for the masses to improve the acceptability of Corona virus as a major health risk concern.