Published date: Mar 29 2024

Journal Title: Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences

Issue title: Sudan JMS: Volume 19 (2024), Issue No. 1

Pages: 90–97

DOI: 10.18502/sjms.v19i1.15781

Naaila KabasheRibat University, Sudan Medical Specialization Board Council of Dermatology, Sudan

Suad Hassan Hamid El Hassandr.suadhassan4@gmail.comOmdurman Islamic University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Dermatology, Omdurman, Sudan

Assad Ali RezigallaDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University Of Bisha, Bisha, KSA

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic caused by SARS_COV2. The symptoms of covid-19 include: fever, dyspnea, fatigue, a recent loss of smell and taste, sore throat, cough, and cutaneous lesions. In addition, some skin manifestations were reported to be associated with COVID-19.

Methods: The study design is a descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study. The study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and practice about skin manifestations of COVID-19 among doctors working at Khartoum dermatology and venereology teaching hospital. A self-administrated questionnaire was used for data collection after an informed consent was taken.

Results: Among 140 doctors working in the dermatology and venereology teaching hospital, 75.7% of the doctors had knowledge that COVID-19 can present with skin manifestations. The study results showed that about half of the participants have poor knowledge about COVID-19 skin manifestations while 25% have no knowledge, and that 35 (25%) doctors have good knowledge. From a total of 140 doctors; 46.4% reported that when patients present with COVID-19 skin lesions, they will isolate them in separate rooms and call the epidemiology center, whereas, 61 doctors (43.6%) did not know if they have a protocol for COVID-19 suspected cases. This study reported a significant association between job category and level of knowledge toward COVID-19 skin manifestations measured by Chi-square test, the P-value was 0.003 (significant at 0.05), and the same significant association was found between the year of rotation and knowledge.

Conclusion: Half of the doctors covered by this study had poor knowledge about COVID-19 skin manifestations, and therefore, educating doctors in dermatology hospitals about skin manifestations of COVID-19 is recommended, besides clear and precise guidelines and protocols for diagnosis and management.

Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, skin manifestations, Sudan Medical Specialization Board

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