Attitude, perception, and awareness among dental practitioners in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and disease management - A prevalence study

Abstract

Background: Due to the availability of proper hygiene standards and suggestions, many dental health centers fail to satisfy the minimal disease control criteria. Objective: The goal of this research was to investigate the degree of attitude, perception, and awareness of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) and disease management among dental practitioners in Namakkal district - A prevalence study. Methods: Dental practitioner operating in Namakkal district private health center, nursing homes, and health-care organizations was included in the research population. An questionnaire survey was issued to a test group in May 2020. The participants answered a sequence of quiz about dental practitioner survey was, their deep understanding of latent period, disease symptoms, SARS-COV-2 spreading route, and disease prevention. Results: A total of 207 dental practitioner were included in this study (98 males and 109 females). While all respondents (100%) were aware of the PPE required in this situation, a small percentage (2.5%) did not prefer to use one. About 99.5% of them endorsed social isolation as a containment measure to avert this epidemic and correctly identified the age group in which the disease is most prevalent. Few respondents (81.6% and 73.9%, respectively) were aware with the specifics of vaccine development and the death rate in the worst-affected nations. Similarly, not everyone was aware of the disorders associated with this disease (91.3%) or the actions that should be educate patients. Conclusion: In general, participants possessed a reasonable/above-average level of knowledge of the virus, its transmission, prevention, and therapy (around 90-100% correct responses overall). Almost all participants endorsed sharing this information with their patients, while a few expressed reservations. This research reveals that dental practitioner had a high level of knowledge and awareness of the pandemic.