ABSTRACT
COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with a high fatality rate that may reach 8%. The disease is caused by SARS-CoV-2 which is one of the coronaviruses. Realizing the severity of outcomes associated with this disease and its high rate of transmission, dentists were instructed by regulatory authorities, such as the American Dental Association, to stop providing treatment to dental patients except those who have emergency complaints. This was mainly for protection of dental healthcare personnel, their families, contacts, and their patients from the transmission of virus, and also to preserve the much-needed supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). Dentists at all times should competently follow cross-infection control protocols, but particularly during this critical time, they should do their best to decide on the emergency cases that are indicated for dental treatment. Dentists should also be updated on how this pandemic is related to their profession in order to be well oriented and prepared. This overview will address several issues concerned with the COVID-19 pandemic that directly relate to dental practice in terms of prevention, treatment, and orofacial clinical manifestations.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/prevention & control , Dental Care/organization & administration , Pandemics/prevention & control , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/prevention & control , COVID-19 , Dental Care/trends , Forecasting , Humans , Infection Control , Practice Guidelines as TopicABSTRACT
Since the first cases of the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) were diagnosed in China, outcomes associated with this infection in terms of total numbers of cases and deaths have varied widely between countries. While some countries had minimal rates of infections and deaths, other countries were hit hard by the pandemic. Countries with highest numbers of cases continued to change over time, but at the time of submission of this article they are: USA, Brazil, Russia, UK, India, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile. This is in contrary to many countries in the Middle East, Far East, and Africa, which had lower cases or deaths/cases rates. This raised many questions pertaining to this variation. This overview explores the potential factors that contribute to spread, transmission and outcomes of the COVID-19 infection. It also uses an evidence-based approach in reviewing the available most recent literature that tackled the various factors that modify the populations' response to COVID-19, namely, factors pertaining to population characteristics, environmental and geographic factors.
ABSTRACT
Since the first cases of the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) were diagnosed in China, outcomes associated with this infection in terms of total numbers of cases and deaths have varied widely between countries. While some countries had minimal rates of infections and deaths, other countries were hit hard by the pandemic. Countries with highest numbers of cases continued to change over time, but at the time of submission of this article they are: USA, Brazil, Russia, UK, India, Spain, Italy, Peru and Chile. This is in contrary to many countries in the Middle East, Far East, and Africa, which had lower cases or deaths/cases rates. This raised many questions pertaining to this variation. This overview explores the potential factors that contribute to spread, transmission and outcomes of the COVID-19 infection. It also uses an evidence-based approach in reviewing the available most recent literature that tackled the various factors that modify the populations"response to COVID-19, namely, factors pertaining to population characteristics, environmental and geographic factors.