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The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon

Received: 9 February 2021     Accepted: 24 February 2021     Published: 4 March 2021
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Abstract

Objectives: The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about fear and uncertainty resulting to stigmatization and discrimination towards those with COVID-19 like symptoms as well as influence the patient influx to health facilities and the health-seeking behaviour of the population. This study assessed the health-seeking behaviour, hospital attendance, and the level of stigmatization of the population towards individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms. Methods: This was a cross-sectional community and hospital-based study carried out to assess hospital attendance, perceived stigmatization and population health-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Buea Municipality. The trend in the patients' influx in the COVID-19 treatment centre and other health facilities was assessed from March to June 2020 and compared with corresponding months in 2019. The stigmatization data was collected using a modified 12-items stigma scale. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 26. Results: The hospital attendance decreased in the COVID-19 treatment centre from April to June 2020 by -38.3% and increased in non-COVID-19 treatment health facilities by over 70%. Of the 570 participants for the community survey, 322 (56.5%) reported to go for auto medication if they developed COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms experienced moderate (59.1%) to severe (33.9%) perceived stigmatization. Perceived stigmatization was significantly higher (2=14.56, p=0.001) in participants who reported not willing to go to the hospital during the pandemic. Conclusion: The hospital turnout experienced a drop in the COVID-19 treatment centre and an increase in other health facilities. There was high perceived stigmatization towards people with COVID-19 like symptoms, which probably accounted for the population refusal to seek treatment in the COVID-19 treatment center and to resort to auto medication.

Published in International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11
Page(s) 37-43
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Perceived Stigmatization, Health-seeking Behaviour, Hospital Attendance, Auto-medication, COVID-19

References
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[4] Ramaci, T., Barattucci, M., Ledda, C., & Rapisarda, V. (2020). Social Stigma during COVID-19 and its Impact on HCWs Outcomes. Sustainability, 12 (9), 3834. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093834.
[5] Adom, D., & Adu Mensah, J. (2020b). The Psychological Distress and Mental Health Disorders from COVID-19 Stigmatization in Ghana. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3599756.
[6] Ren, S.-Y., Gao, R.-D., & Chen, Y.-L. (2020). Fear can be more harmful than the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in controlling the corona virus disease 2019 epidemic. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 8 (4), 652–657. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v8.i4.652.
[7] Singh, R., & Subedi, M. (2020). COVID-19 and stigma: Social discrimination towards frontline healthcare providers and COVID-19 recovered patients in Nepal. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 53, 102222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102222.
[8] Barnett, M. L., Hu, L., Martin, T., & Grabowski, D. C. (2020). Mortality, Admissions, and Patient Census at SNFs in 3 US Cities During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.11642.
[9] Baum, A., & Schwartz, M. D. (2020). Admissions to Veterans Affairs Hospitals for Emergency Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA, 324 (1), 96–99. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.9972.
[10] Hourston, G. J. M. (2020). The impact of despecialisation and redeployment on surgical training in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Surgery (London, England), 78, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.03.082.
[11] Tam, C.-C. F., Cheung, K.-S., Lam, S., Wong, A., Yung, A., Sze, M., Fang, J., Tse, H.-F., & Siu, C.-W. (2020). Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on outcome of myocardial infarction in Hong Kong, China. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions: Official Journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.28943.
[12] Aacharya, R. P., & Shah, A. (2020). Ethical dimensions of stigma and discrimination in Nepal during COVID-19 pandemic. Ethics, Medicine, and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2020.100536.
[13] Nicholas, T., Mandaah, F. V., Esemu, S. N., Vanessa, A. B. T., Gilchrist, K. T. D., Vanessa, L. F., & Shey, N. D. (2020). COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and practices in a conflict affected area of the South West Region of Cameroon. The Pan African Medical Journal, 35 (34), Article 34. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.35.2.22963.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Tendongfor Nicholas, Njingti Ruth Bongngi, Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba, Ebiambu Ondoh Agwara, Ako Carol Shenelle Mbeng. (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences, 7(2), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11

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    ACS Style

    Tendongfor Nicholas; Njingti Ruth Bongngi; Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba; Ebiambu Ondoh Agwara; Ako Carol Shenelle Mbeng. The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Med. Sci. 2021, 7(2), 37-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11

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    AMA Style

    Tendongfor Nicholas, Njingti Ruth Bongngi, Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba, Ebiambu Ondoh Agwara, Ako Carol Shenelle Mbeng. The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon. Int J Clin Exp Med Sci. 2021;7(2):37-43. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11,
      author = {Tendongfor Nicholas and Njingti Ruth Bongngi and Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba and Ebiambu Ondoh Agwara and Ako Carol Shenelle Mbeng},
      title = {The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon},
      journal = {International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {2},
      pages = {37-43},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcems.20210702.11},
      abstract = {Objectives: The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about fear and uncertainty resulting to stigmatization and discrimination towards those with COVID-19 like symptoms as well as influence the patient influx to health facilities and the health-seeking behaviour of the population. This study assessed the health-seeking behaviour, hospital attendance, and the level of stigmatization of the population towards individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms. Methods: This was a cross-sectional community and hospital-based study carried out to assess hospital attendance, perceived stigmatization and population health-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Buea Municipality. The trend in the patients' influx in the COVID-19 treatment centre and other health facilities was assessed from March to June 2020 and compared with corresponding months in 2019. The stigmatization data was collected using a modified 12-items stigma scale. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 26. Results: The hospital attendance decreased in the COVID-19 treatment centre from April to June 2020 by -38.3% and increased in non-COVID-19 treatment health facilities by over 70%. Of the 570 participants for the community survey, 322 (56.5%) reported to go for auto medication if they developed COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms experienced moderate (59.1%) to severe (33.9%) perceived stigmatization. Perceived stigmatization was significantly higher (2=14.56, p=0.001) in participants who reported not willing to go to the hospital during the pandemic. Conclusion: The hospital turnout experienced a drop in the COVID-19 treatment centre and an increase in other health facilities. There was high perceived stigmatization towards people with COVID-19 like symptoms, which probably accounted for the population refusal to seek treatment in the COVID-19 treatment center and to resort to auto medication.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospital Attendance and Perceived Stigmatization Towards Individuals with COVID-19 Like Symptoms in Buea Municipality, Cameroon
    AU  - Tendongfor Nicholas
    AU  - Njingti Ruth Bongngi
    AU  - Mapoure Njankouo Yacouba
    AU  - Ebiambu Ondoh Agwara
    AU  - Ako Carol Shenelle Mbeng
    Y1  - 2021/03/04
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11
    T2  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medical Sciences
    SP  - 37
    EP  - 43
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2469-8032
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcems.20210702.11
    AB  - Objectives: The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about fear and uncertainty resulting to stigmatization and discrimination towards those with COVID-19 like symptoms as well as influence the patient influx to health facilities and the health-seeking behaviour of the population. This study assessed the health-seeking behaviour, hospital attendance, and the level of stigmatization of the population towards individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms. Methods: This was a cross-sectional community and hospital-based study carried out to assess hospital attendance, perceived stigmatization and population health-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Buea Municipality. The trend in the patients' influx in the COVID-19 treatment centre and other health facilities was assessed from March to June 2020 and compared with corresponding months in 2019. The stigmatization data was collected using a modified 12-items stigma scale. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 26. Results: The hospital attendance decreased in the COVID-19 treatment centre from April to June 2020 by -38.3% and increased in non-COVID-19 treatment health facilities by over 70%. Of the 570 participants for the community survey, 322 (56.5%) reported to go for auto medication if they developed COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals with COVID-19 like symptoms experienced moderate (59.1%) to severe (33.9%) perceived stigmatization. Perceived stigmatization was significantly higher (2=14.56, p=0.001) in participants who reported not willing to go to the hospital during the pandemic. Conclusion: The hospital turnout experienced a drop in the COVID-19 treatment centre and an increase in other health facilities. There was high perceived stigmatization towards people with COVID-19 like symptoms, which probably accounted for the population refusal to seek treatment in the COVID-19 treatment center and to resort to auto medication.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Public Health and Hygiene, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

  • Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

  • Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon

  • Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

  • Department of Public Health and Hygiene, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

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