CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In Nigerian slums and densely populated communities, several families share housing amenities such as toilets, kitchens and bathrooms. The demand by a large number of people to access these amenities precludes effective social distancing, frequent handwashing and respiratory hygiene.

The lack of potable water and inadequate ventilation in densely populated and poor communities further increases the risk of community transmission. Locally made hand washing amenities have supported handwashing and use of hand sanitizer in public places but the numbers are inadequate and hand sanitizers are expensive to purchase.

In poor communities, members queue for about 2 to 3 hours before securing a spot to receive portions of food rationing from community feeding programs and donors. Hand washing is not observed as access to water and soap or hand sanitizer is a challenge. Although proper hand hygiene is the simplest, cost-effective and most important, means of reducing the spread of infection, it is least observed due to cultural, religious and economic issues.

Persons with early clinical features of COVID-19, and non-emergent health conditions are required to stay at home and access health care via telephone call to the hospital. This intervention is meant to prevent the collapse of the overwhelmed health [1] systems. Hospitals lack skilled personnel, robust operational infrastructure, standardized infection control processes and personal protective equipment (PPEs). This adversely impacts the ability of many Nigerian healthcare systems to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. Unfortunately, telecommunication systems within most Nigerian healthcare systems have limited network capacity and cannot support [4] efficient virtual healthcare models. Mass testing for COVID-19 is precluded by supply chain barriers to procurement of testing kits. Contact tracing is also problematic due to lack of funding and unique identifiers for country nationals.

Nigerian economy is burdened with loan obligations that divert resources away from health spending to settle debt requirements. Sequential borrowing has reduced gross domestic products and adversely affected employment rates. In the face of COVID-19, these financial inadequacies will further erode the suboptimal Nigerian health systems and detract from the ability of Nigerian nations to mount robust disease surveillance systems and provide [4,5] appropriate healthcare. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, the increased mortality rate related to Measles, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis exceeded deaths from Ebola and were attributed to [5] healthcare system failures. These lessons establish the need to strengthen the delivery of pre-existing essential healthcare services. We know from previous outbreaks that when health systems are overwhelmed, mortality from vaccine-preventable and other treatable conditions increases dramatically. It is important to fully protect frontline healthcare professionals (HCP) with Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and provide adequate socioeconomic, psychological and financial support. Many frontline healthcare workers in Nigeria are the sole providers for their extended families; hence HCP support should extend to include family members. Setting up Testing Centers at easily accessible vantage community points is critical, and timely contact tracing should be intensified to engage communities in ethical and equitable case identification. Quarantine facilities must be prepared to receive clients and fumigation of infected areas should be carried out with the expert guidance of public health officials. Sustainable access to constant clean, running water and effective sanitation measures are critical.

Low-tech handwashing equipment can be manufactured locally, solar powered and scaled up to support 6 frequent handwashing. Frequent and proper hand hygiene techniques should be taught in the local languages and communicated at the grassroots level using audio-visual demonstration. Due to the global shortage of facemasks, local manufacturing has begun, but the product cost may be prohibitive for community use. These initiatives should be subsidized by the government to reduce cost and maximize output. Using community elders, opinion and religious leaders to champion public health initiatives at the community level is a proven behavior-change technique in Nigeria that must be leveraged to drive community engagement in health education and public health efforts to combat COVID-19 spread.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The corona virus is a very deadly diseases even though it treatable. The federal government of Nigeria has put in effort to curb the spread of corona virus in various local governments in Nigeria. In shira L.G.A of Bauchi State for example have some challenges in curbing the spread of corona virus due to its population and their day to day activities.

        Some of the known preventive measures for the spread of corona virus include regular hand washing, the use of hand sanitizers and social distancing. Shira L.G.A of Bauchi State have issues of adequate water supply and electricity this might become a challenge to the use of hand washing, the use of hand sanitizers and social distancing as a means to curb the spread of covid-19. The study will try to evaluate the impact of hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study seeks to determine the impact of hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State. The objectives of the study are:

1. To determine the need for hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State
2. To examine the effectiveness of social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State
3. To evaluate the measures put in place to ensure the implementation of hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State
4. To identify the level of compliance to hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State

 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1. What is the need for hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State?
2. How effective is the use of social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State?
3. What are the measures put in place to ensure the implementation of hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State?
4. What is the level of compliance to hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in shira L.G.A of Bauchi State?

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

HO1: Hand washing, the use of hand sanitizer and social distancing are not effective in the fight against the corona virus (COVID19) in Shira L.G.A, Bauchi state.

Hi: Hand washing, the use of hand sanitizer and social distancing are effective in the fight against the corona virus (COVID19) in Shira L.G.A, Bauchi state

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study on the impact of handwashing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 will be of immense help to the entire shira L.G.A of Bauchi State towards dissemination of information on preventive measures in curbing the spread of covid-19. The study findings of the study will also establish a correlation between Handwashing, the use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 in Shira L.G.A, Bauchi state. The study will also serve as a source of information to Bauchi state government, the students and other researchers and contribute to the body of the existing literature on the impact of handwashing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study covers on the impact of handwashing, use of hand sanitizer and social distancing in curbing the spread of covid-19 with focus on Shira L.G.A, Bauchi state

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

TIME CONSTRAINTS: One the challenges experienced by the researcher is the issue of time; the research will simultaneously engage in departmental activities like seminars and attendance to lectures. But the researcher was able to meet up with the deadline for the submission of the project.

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Every research work needs funding; however lack of adequate funds might affect the speed of the researcher in getting materials for completion of the project

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

CORONA VIRUS: Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

HAND SANITIZER: Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to kill many viruses/bacteria/microorganisms on the hands. In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is generally preferred

SOCIAL DISTANCING: Social distancing, also called physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other.