Epidemiology

Internal medicine

Public health

Pathology

Sociology

Archaeology

Disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Economic growth

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Pandemic

Outbreak

Demography

Nursing

Biostatistics

Cross-sectional study

Virology

Health care

Economics

Geography

Economic geography

Hydroxychloroquine

Context (archaeology)

Capital city

Medicine

Environmental health

BMC Public Health

Background To date, there is no effective treatment for COVID-19, which is a pandemic disease, caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. In Togo, where four in five people practice self-medication, the absence of a cure for COVID-19 and the constant progression of the disease requires an assessment of self-medication patterns in the context of the pandemic. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 and its associated factors in Lomé , Togo. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lomé , the capital city of Togo, from April 23rd to May 8th, 2020, with a sample of participants from five sectors: the healthcare, air transport, police, road transport and informal sectors. The participants were invited to provide information about their self-medication practices to prevent COVID-19 in the 2 weeks preceding the survey. Results A total of 955 participants (71.6% men) with a median age of 36 (IQR 32–43) were included. Approximately 22.1% were in the air transport sector, 20.5% were in the police sector, and 38.7% were in the health sector. The overall prevalence of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 was 34.2% (95% CI: 31.2–37.3%). The most commonly used products were vitamin C (27.6%) and traditional medicine (10.2%). Only 2.0% of participants reported using chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine. Female sex (aOR=1.90; p &lt; 0.001), work in the health sector (aOR=1.89; p = 0.001), secondary education level (aOR= 2.28; p = 0.043) and university education level (aOR= 5.11; p &lt; 0.001) were associated with self-medication. Conclusion One-third of the individuals in high-risk populations in Lomé practiced self-medication. Intensifying awareness campaigns is crucial to fight misinformation about alleged COVID-19 prevention products on social media.

Assessment of self-medication practices in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Togo