ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS PERCEPTION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NONPHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTION (NPI) IN THE PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

The outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging public health issues faced by nations in the 21st century, which led to the closure of educational institutions. Hence, the re-opening of learning centers depends on their ability to adopt the various nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures that will help prevent an outbreak on campus. However, the effectiveness of any measure depends on the cooperation of students, which is enormously affected by their perception of the effectiveness of these measures in ensuring their safety on campus. Thus, there is need to examine the perception of students regarding the effectiveness of the NPI measures. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered across faculties in the university. Data were analyzed using tables, charts and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results showed that some of the NPI measures on campus include the use of facemasks, social distancing, the use of hand sanitizers, and also the erection of handwashing stations around the school campus. Results also revealed that these measures have affected student’s socio-economically by increasing the cost of transportation and the price of goods and services. The study concluded that most students believe that the covid-19 pandemic have been exaggerated and that most of the NPI measures provided were not effective in preventing the spread of the pandemic on campus. Therefore, it was recommended that university authority should carry out more sensitization and awareness campaign on the danger posed by covid-19 and the preventive measures needed for individuals to protect themselves, and compliance to these measures should be enforced adequately.