Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Ravi Chandra Ravi
- . Charishma Chowdary Ponugubati 1
- . Sunil Kumar Bonu 2
- . Srividya Athkuri 3
- . Lakshman Varma Uppalapati
- . Chandrakanth Majeti 4
1 Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantology, GITAM Dental College and Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
2 Department of Public Health Dentistry, GITAM Dental College and Hospital, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
3 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, GSL Dental College and Hospital, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India
4 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Army College of Dental, Sciences, Secundrabad, Telangana, India
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The pandemic caused by novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2) in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 is a highly contagious disease. The World Health
Organization has declared the outbreak of coronavirus diseases (COVID‑19) as a global public health
emergency. Currently, the research on novel coronavirus is still in the primary stage. The aim of this
study is to assess the knowledge and awareness on COVID‑19 disease and related infection control
measures among the dental fraternity in Visakhapatnam – the smart city.
METHODS: A total of 808 dentists from the Visakhapatnam region completed a questionnaire‑based
survey on the knowledge, awareness, and infection control measures related to COVID‑19 infection.
The questionnaire was tailored from the guidance and information for health‑care workers issued
by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suitable sampling method was used for the
collection of data and the distribution of responses was presented as percentages. Explanatory
statistics were performed for all groups and subgroups based on the percentage of correct responses.
Individual pair‑wise comparisons were done using the Chi‑square test for the percentage of correct
responses.
RESULTS: A total of 825 participated in the survey, of which 808 dentists completely answered the
survey, and the response rate was 98%. Among the respondents, males and females are 46.8%
and 53.2%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference for all the questions solicited,
among age groups (P = 0.001, 0.001) and occupation (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.004). Private practitioners
seem to more awareness compared to teaching faculty, undergraduates, and postgraduates, as they
have answered correctly (>70%) for almost all the questions.
CONCLUSION: The inputs from the survey help us throw some light and fill up lacunae where required.
There is a strong need to implement periodic educational interventions and training programs on
infection control practices for COVID‑19 among dentists in particular. The information from this survey
helps us to make necessary changes in implementing periodic educational webinars and stress on
areas where necessary, which is important for the dental fraternity for protecting themselves and
shielding our society from COVID‑19.
Keywords
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