Assessing the opinions of Healthcare Practitioners in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) on ways to support people recovering from COVID-19: A Nigeria Study.

AIM To understand the views of Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) in Nigeria on ways to support people’s recovery from COVID-19.METHODA survey was conducted online among HCPs in Nigeria. The link was sent via social media platforms (WhatsApp,Twitter) and email. Participants voluntarily completed the questionnaires without any time constraints.RESULTS101 HCPs completed the survey (57% male, 91% aged 18-39 years). Most HCPs were Physiotherapists (56%) with most either not involved in the care of COVID-19 patients (41%) or involved in mobility assessments and exercises (34%). HCPs (88%) reported that non-hospitalised patients would require post-COVID-19 support. The most commonly selected components for post- COVID-19 support were coping with the stigma of infection (72%), aerobic exercise (71%) and integrating back into the community (66%) [Fig 1]. The methods of communication identified as most appropriate were telephone (72%) and video calls (60%), with home/community-based support preferred (55%).CONCLUSIONPost-COVID-19 support was viewed as a high priority. These results act as a foundation for developing suitable support interventions for post-COVID-19 survivors with ongoing symptom burdenFigure 1 – Components of post-COVID-19 support Implementation Science/Service Development Research Ideas on Respiratory Conditions and Tobacco Dependency Abstract Declaration of Interest This research was funded by the University of Leicester IRDF ODA (M631PC27) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (17/63/20) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Department of Health and Social Care References and Clinical Trial Registry Information None