Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic's declaration in January 2020, the WHO and experts have vigilantly monitored the virus for potentially dangerous changes. They've classified two groups, Variants of Interest and Variants of Concern, which could pose significant global health risks. Despite the WHO's efforts and international media coverage, some individuals in developing countries, notably in Africa, seem unaware of these developments, resulting in neglect of preventive measures against COVID-19. In late November 2021, the Omicron variant (initially B.1.1.529) emerged in South Africa, spreading rapidly and causing concerns due to reduced vaccine effectiveness against it.
Objective: To assess knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards the novel SARS-CoV-2 variants among clinicians at Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza, Tanzania.
Methodology: This will be a descriptive cross sectional study whereby the data will be collected using a well-designed questionnaire. Ethical clearance will be sought from CUHAS/BMC Ethics and review committee and after data collection, data will be entered into Microsoft excel for cleaning and thereafter will be analyzed using SPSS Version 20.
Results:This study involving 255 clinicians almost all clinicians (99.2%) were aware of SARS-CoV-2 variants, with 98.0% displaying good knowledge by correctly identifying multiple variants. They generally held a positive attitude towards preventive measures, with strong support for tighter infection control (75.7%), belief in the adequacy of current precautions (60%), and recognition of the importance of vaccinating those previously infected (89.4%). However, a significant proportion (86.7%) disagreed with using lockdown for variant control.
Conclusion:A study of 255 clinicians at BMC found that most were aware of SARS-CoV-2 variants and had good knowledge about them. While clinicians generally supported preventive measures like mask-wearing and vaccination, there was disagreement regarding lockdown for variant control, highlighting the need for targeted education and communication strategies to align attitudes with public health measures