"It is Divine Punishment for our sins”: Knowledge and Perception of the Cause, Symptoms, and Mode of Transmission of the COVID-19 Disease Among Local Traders in Nigeria

Background: Access to correct information can influence the formation of the right attitude towards mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Many individuals in Nigeria have taken up non-scientifically approved practices in a bid to protect themselves from the virus. The aim of this study was to assess the source of information, and knowledge of cause and mode of transmission of the COIVD-19 disease among local traders in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional study of local traders from two densely populated markets in Ibadan was conducted using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel 2016, and were presented in frequency tables and charts. Chi-square test was used to test for association. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 321 traders; 27.4% of which were males and 72.6% females were recruited into the study. Mean age was 39.4±11.8 years, radio (93.5%) and television (75.7%) were the most commonly used sources of information, 65.8% believed COVID-19 was a result of divine punishment for sins, majority (95.3%) reported that COVID-19 was spread through personal contact with infected persons. There was a statistically significant association between knowledge of cause and age (p=0.004), as well as between knowledge of cause and marital status (p=0.001). Additionally, a statistically significant association was observed between knowledge of transmission and level of education (p=0.012). Conclusion: Even though they have access to adequate information, people may not take proper actions to protect themselves and others from contracting the COVID-19 disease. Reinforced health promotion strategies that pay attention to the local contexts and perspectives of community members should be taken across board.