Evaluation of the Knowledge and Attitudes of Dental Health Care Workers Regarding the New Coronavirus Disease-2019 Outbreak

Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is contagious through respiratory droplets, close contact and aerosols emitted from high-end instruments. Dentists are at high risk for infection and have become carriers of the disease. Thus, dental health professionals should have sufficient knowledge and a high level of awareness on this issue. This study aimed to investigate the levels of knowledge and awareness about COVID-19 among dentists, students of dentistry and dental nurses. Materials and Methods: This study included 124 dentists, 122 students of dentistry and 128 nurses. A closed-ended questionnaire was developed with the help of the existing literature. The questionnaire, containing ten questions, was divided into three parts. Results: Dentists, nurses and students of dentistry had adequate information regarding COVID-19. It was determined that all the participating dentists (100%) and nurses (100%) and most students of dentistry (97.5%) felt threatened by being exposed to COVID-19 infection. A significantly higher proportion of dentists (58.9%) and clinical students (55.7%) compared to nurses (9.4%) believed that using protective equipment during dental practice will not protect them against COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: Dental health care workers should be trained in the prevention and control of COVID-19, and they should regularly renew these skills to protect themselves against new infections that may occur in the future.

Diş Hekimliği Sağlık Çalışanlarının Koronavirüs Hastalığı-2019 Salgınına Karşı Bilgi Düzeyi ve Davranışlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Amaç: Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) solunum damlacığı, yakın temas ve yüksek hızlı aletlerden yayılan son aerosoller yoluyla bulaşıcıdır, diş hekimleri enfeksiyon için büyük risk altındadır ve hastalığın taşıyıcıları haline gelmişlerdir. Bu nedenle diş hekimliği sağlık çalışanlarının bu konuda yeterli bilgiye sahip olması ve farkındalık yaratması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, diş hekimleri, diş hekimliği klinik öğrencileri ve diş hekimliği hemşirelerinin COVID-19 hakkındaki bilgi ve farkındalık düzeylerini araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışmaya 124 diş hekimi, 122 diş hekimliği klinik öğrencisi ve 128 diş hekimliği hemşiresi dahil edildi. Mevcut literatür yardımıyla kapalı uçlu bir anket geliştirildi. On soru içeren anket üç bölüme ayrıldı. Bulgular: Diş hekimleri, hemşireler ve klinik öğrencileri COVID-19 hakkında yeterli bilgiye sahiptir. Tüm diş hekimleri (%100) ve hemşirelerin (%100) ve çoğu klinik öğrencisinin (%97,5) COVID-19 enfeksiyonuna karşı tehdit altında hissettiği belirlendi. Diş hekimi muayenesi sırasında koruyucu ekipman kullanmanın COVID-19 enfeksiyonuna karşı korumayacağını düşünen diş hekimleri (%58,9) ve klinik öğrencilerinin oranı hemşirelere göre istatistiksel olarak daha yüksekti (%9,4). Sonuç: Diş hekimliği sağlık çalışanları, COVID-19’un önlenmesi ve kontrolü konusunda eğitilmeli ve gelecekte oluşabilecek yeni enfeksiyonlara karşı korunmak için bu becerileri düzenli olarak yenilemelidirler

PDF

___

1. Spagnuolo G, De Vito D, Rengo S, Tatullo M. COVID-19 outbreak: An overview on dentistry. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17: 2094.

2. Gorbalenya AE, Baker SC, Baric RS, Groot RJ, Drosten C, Gulyaeva AA, et al. The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2. Nat Microbiol 2020; 2: 1-9.

3. Wax RS, Christian MD. Practical recommendations for critical care and anesthesiology teams caring for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patients. Can J Anaesth 2020; 67: 568-76.

4. Ather A, Patel B, Ruparel NB, Diogenes A, Hargreaves KM. Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19): ımplications for clinical dental care. J Endod 2020; 46: 584-95.

5. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020; 382: 727-33.

6. Gorbalenya AE, Baker SC, Baric RS, de Groot R, Drosten G, Gulyaeva AA, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: The species and its viruses – a statement of the Coronavirus Study Group. bioRxiv 2020: 1-15.

7. Sohrabi C, Alsafi Z, O’Neill N, Khan M, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, et al. World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Int J Surg 2020; 76: 71-6.

8. Li R, Pei S, Chen B, Song Y, Zhang T, Yang W, et al. Substantial undocumented infection facilitates the rapid dissemination of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Science 2020; 368: 489-93.

9. Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, Liang WH, Ou CQ, He JX, et al. Clinical characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus infection in China. medRxiv 2020. doi:10.1101/2020.1102.1106.20020974.

10. Yang Y, Lu Q, Liu M, Wang Y, Zhang A, Jalali N, et al. Epidemiological and clinical features of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in China. medRxiv 2020. doi:10.1101/2020.1102 .1110.20021675.

11. Yu T, Zhang X, Zhang L. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet 2020; 395: 507-13.

12. Rothe C, Schunk M, Sothmann P, Bretzel G, Froeschl G, Wallrauch C, et al. Transmission of 2019-nCoV infection from an asymptomatic contact in Germany. N Engl J Med 2020; 382: 970-1.

13. Kohn WG, Collins AS, Cleveland JL, Harte JA, Eklund KJ, Malvitz DM. Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings--2003. MMWR Recomm Rep 2003; 52: 1-61.

14. Meng L, Hua F, Bian Z. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Emerging and future challenges for dental and oral medicine. J Dent Res 2020; 99: 481-7.

15. Li RW, Leung KW, Sun FC, Samaranayake LP. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the GDP. Part II: implications for GDPs. Br Dent J 2004; 197: 130-4.

16. Samaranayake LP, Peiris M. Severe acute respiratory syndrome and dentistry: a retrospective view. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135: 1292-302.

17. World Health Organization. Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection is suspected: interim guidance, 2020. https://www. who.int/publications-detail/clinical-management-of-severeacute-respiratory-infection-when-novel-coronavirus-(ncov)- infection-is-suspected

18. Marui VC, Souto MLS, Rovai ES, Romito GA, Chambrone L, Pannuti CM. Efficacy of preprocedural mouthrinses in the reduction of microorganisms in aerosol: A systematic review. J Am Dent Assoc 2019; 150: 1015-26.

19. Vandenberghe B, Jacobs R, Bosmans H. Modern dental imaging: a review of the current technology and clinical applications in dental practice. Eur Radiol 2010; 20: 2637-55.

20. Fatiregun AA, Olowookere SA, Oyebade AO. Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1): knowledge among senior health workers at a secondary health care institution in Southwest, Nigeria. Afr Health Sci 2011; 11: 171-5.

21. Albano L, Matuozzo A, Marinelli P, Di Giuseppe G. Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of hospital health-care workers regarding influenza A/H1N1: A cross sectional survey. BMC Infect Dis 2014; 14: 208.

22. Khan A, Johani MA. Level of willingness to report to work during a pandemic among the emergency department health care professionals. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2014; 5: 58-62.

23. Qureshi K, Gershon RR, Sherman MF, Straub T, Gebbie E, McCollum M, et al. Health care workers’ ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. J Urban Health 2005; 82: 378-88.

24. Shapira Y, Marganitt B, Roziner I, Shochet T, Bar Y, Shemer J. Willingness of staff to report to their hospital duties following an unconventional missile attack: a state-wide survey. Isr J Med Sci 1991; 27: 704-11.

25. Keşkek ŞÖ, Erdoğan H. COVID-19: A current brief review. Acta Medica Alanya 2020; 4: 197-202.