*2.1. Development of Survey Questionnaire*

The study questionnaire, which comprised 24 items, was constructed using reference materials, guidance, and information on COVID-19 developed by WHO, the CDC, and National Health Services (NHS). The survey covered the domains of student demographics, general awareness, information sources, knowledge, and attitude toward COVID-19, as well as level of adherence to the restriction measures. The tool was constructed with input by diverse public health professionals and professors. The first version of the questionnaire was validated by face and content validation methods by five selected experts (two nurses, one physician, and two faculty members). This was done in order to assess its readability and validity before pilot testing among ten randomly selected nursing students to confirm the clarity and acceptability [19]. Finally, all the participants' comments were incorporated and led to a new modified version of the tool with a better understanding and a more suitable order of questions. The final survey link was delivered to students via the educational platform of the institute.
