CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG HEALTH CARE STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 4TH WAVE FOR THE AWARENESS OF MUCORMYCOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANDEMIC

Objectives: to observe and analyze data about the awareness of Mucormycosis (black fungi) infection associated with some cases of COVID-19 after recovery and factors related to it, targeting population Medical health care students in Hail university and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: surveillance cross sectional study, data were collected from 15th of October 2021 till 28th of February 2022. Study population Male and Females / adults / Medical health care students in Hail university and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, using questionnaires, statistical analysis was done by SPSS 22. Results: 216 responses to the questioner. The study finding showed that(62%) from Hail university and (38%) were from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. As for gender (66.7%) were female and (33.3%) were males ,also results showed that from Medicine college (59.7%) ,(18.5%) from Applied medical college,(7.9%) pharmacy ,(6%) students from public health college,(4.2%) nursing and (3.7%) from Dentistry college. Regarding COVID-19 status and vaccination (90.3%) were vaccinated by 2 doses and (74.1%) were not infected by COVID-19 . About the awareness about Mucormycosisand knowing about the type of infection ,causative agent and contagiousness (63%) not knowing the type of infection ,(43.5%) thinking its a contagious disease while (74.1%) consider it as fungal disease .(45.4%) answered its a mucor mold type of fungi and (39.8%) answered its belong to genus mucor . About factors that can play a role in infection asage , gender , race , environment and lifestyle (78.7%) agreed that these factors play an important role in infection ,(37.5%) explained that giving name black fungi infection is due to the color of the lesion while (26.9%) giving the reason that due to color of the fungi or because it can lead to death .About lesions and which part of the body do you think mostly affected results showed Rhinocerebral (46.3%), followed by (25.5%) in the eyes ,(15.3%) in the ears and(13%) in the brain .(48.1%) agreed that patients with COVID-19 infection could be more susceptible to mucormycosis infection . (59.3%) given the reason that having history of weak immunity with COVID-19 infection can lead to mucormycosis secondary infection while (23.1%) believe that protocol of treatment used in COVID-19 infection may be the cause and (10.1%) think that patients with COVID-19 associated with history of diabetes mellitus lead to black fungi infection. (56%) of the results showed that participants think that vaccination can prevent black fungi infection ,(42.1%) agreed that black fungi can be treatable by antifungal drugs with surgical interference,(36.6%) answered that it can be treat by antifungal drugs only ,( 12.5%) think that it can be treated with antibiotics and (8.8%) considered that black fungi not treatable .(79.2%) believed that mucormycosis infection can lead to death. Conclusion: awareness is the golden key to manage any emerging public health problem specially among health care provider in all specialties, Spreading the knowledge and updates among society of Medical health care students about mucormycosis causative agent, factors lead to infection specially during the COVID-19 pandemic ,suggested treatment and management of such case can help in controlling , preventions . know how to deal with Post COVID-19 situation and prepare for it.