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Yohannes Tekalegn,1 Biniyam Sahiledengle,1 Kebebe Bekele,2 Abdi Tesemma,2 Tesfaye Aseffa,3 Zinash Teferu Engida,1 Alemu Girma,2 Alelign Tasew,1 Demisu Zenbaba,1 Rameto Aman,1 Kenbon Seyoum,4 Demelash Woldeyohannes,5 Birhan Legese6 1Department of Public Health, Madda Walabu University, Goba Referral Hospital, School of Health Sciences, Bale-Goba, Ethiopia; 2Department of Surgery, Madda Walabu University, Goba Referral Hospital, School of Medicine, Bale-Goba, Ethiopia; 3Department of Nursing, Madda Walabu University, Goba Referral Hospital, School of Health Sciences, Bale-Goba, Ethiopia; 4Department of Midwifery, Madda Walabu University, Goba Referral Hospital, School of Health Sciences, Bale-Goba, Ethiopia; 5Department of Public Health, Wachemo University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hossana, Ethiopia; 6Department of Public Health, Ambo University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ambo, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Yohannes TekalegnMadda Walabu University, Goba Referral Hospital, School of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Addis Ababa 22847 code 1000, EthiopiaTel +251 913578901Email yohannesefa@gmail.comPurpose: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mainly spreads through respiratory droplets and close contacts. Wearing a facemask and other personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, the use of PPE alone does not provide a sufficient level of protection, and correct use and disposal are required. Hence, this study aimed to assess health professionals’ practice regarding proper use of facemask in the perspectives of COVID-19 prevention.Methods: A web-based online survey was conducted from June 3, 2020, to August 11, 2020, to assess health professionals’ practice regarding correct use of facemask. The survey tool was prepared in Google form and distributed to the health professionals through their emails and social media pages. Data were analyzed using STATA version 14. A descriptive result was reported using frequency tables and bar charts. Factors associated with correct use of facemask were assessed using binary logistic regression model.Results: A total of 368 health professionals have participated in this study. All of the participants’ work involves direct contact with patients and 98 (26.6%) of them work in direct contact with COVID-19 patients daily. The level of overall correct use of facemask was 10.1% (95% CI: 7.4– 13.6). Two hundred fifty-five (69.3%) do not perform hand hygiene before wearing a facemask and 238 (64.7%) do not perform hand hygiene after removing the facemask. Three hundred twenty-three (87.8%) of the study participants reuse disposable facemasks. The odds of practicing correct use of facemask were more than two times higher among health professionals who received training related to personal protective equipment utilization (AOR= 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1– 4.5) compared to their counterparts.Conclusion: This study revealed that health professionals’ practice regarding the correct use of facemask in the context of COVID-19 prevention is very low. Receiving training related to proper utilization of personal protective equipment was found to favor the correct use of facemask. In this regard, health authorities should provide training to enable the rational and correct use of facemask among healthcare workers.Keywords: COVID-19, facemask, healthcare workers, infection, prevention, Ethiopia

Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease spreading is impacting mental health globally. Even though the pandemic is challenging for patients, the community, policymakers, as well as health organizations, and teams, the data on COVID-19 and its association with anxiety and coping mechanisms towards infection among community members are currently limited. Thus, the study is intended to assess COVID-19-related levels of anxiety and coping strategies among community members of Bale and East Bale Zones, Southeast Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based survey was carried out among 634 study participants of Bale and East Bale Zones from June 1 to 20, 2020. The level of anxiety was determined by using the 5-item Coronavirus Scale and the coping strategies were determined by using the 15-item Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Bi-variable analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship among the variables., Results: COVID-19-related dysfunctional level of anxiety was found 95 (16.58%). About 290 (50.6%) respondents were copied from anxiety that occurred as a result of COVID-19. Factors significantly associated with the dysfunctional level of anxiety related to COVID-19 were being an urban resident (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.86), those who had no information from TV/radio (AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.84), and walking a long distance more than 1 hour from the health institution (AOR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.97)., Conclusion: COVID-19-related dysfunctional levels of anxiety were 16.58% in the study community. Half of the community was coped with COVID-19-related anxiety. Being an urban resident and walking along distances more than 1 hour from the health facility were the factors that decreased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety, whereas respondents who had no information from TV/radio increased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety. Accordingly, focusing on these identified factors could improve a dysfunctional level of anxiety in the study community., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no competing interests., (© 2021 Teferu Engida et al.)