ABSTRACT
In December 2019, an unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to spread internationally, now impacting more than 293,750,692 patients with 5,454,131 deaths globally as of January 5, 2022. COVID-19 is highly pathogenic and contagious which has caused a large-scale epidemic impacting more deaths than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-2003 or the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) epidemic in 2012-2013. Although COVID-19 symptoms are mild in most people, in those with pre-existing comorbidities there is an increased risk of progression to severe disease and death. In an attempt to mitigate this pandemic, urgent public health measures including quarantining exposed individuals and social distancing have been implemented in most states, while some states have even started the process of re-opening after considering both the economic and public health consequences of social distancing measures. While prevention is crucial, both novel agents and medications already in use with other indications are being investigated in clinical trials for patients with COVID-19. The collaboration between healthcare providers, health systems, patients, private sectors, and local and national governments is needed to protect both healthcare providers and patients to ultimately overcome this pandemic. The purpose of this review is to summarize the peer-reviewed and preprint literature on the epidemiology, transmission, clinical presentation, and available therapies as well as to propose a preventive strategy to overcome the present global pandemic.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Communicable Diseases , Exanthema , Adult , COVID-19/complications , Exanthema/etiology , HumansABSTRACT
Avoiding cancer risk factors such as smoking, being overweight, and not getting enough exercise may help prevent certain types of cancer. It is possible that increasing the protective factors, prevent this type of disease from proliferating. Some patients only go to the dentist when they suffer from a complication in the oral cavity. The students of this branch play a fundamental role in the treatment and timely detection of diseases in the oral cavity through their practical classes. It is up to the education system and its teachers to provide all its students with the necessary mechanisms so that they can help them and provide them with security and confidence. In times as convulsive as those we are experiencing today and with the appearance of Covid-19, face-to-face classes have been replaced by virtual ones, stealing the space for students to interact with patients, hence the importance of resuming classes practices that are the only ones that complete the preparation of future specialists and thus stop the increase in cases of oral cancer in the country's population.
ABSTRACT
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. It has a good safety profile, can be used in children and in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and does not suppress the immune system. Regular screening for retinopathy, one of the drug's most feared adverse effects, is necessary. Hydroxychloroquine is a widely used, essential drug in dermatology. Clinical response rates are good in lupus erythematous, where it is a first-line therapy, as well in numerous autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, including lichen planus, polymorphic light eruption, porphyria cutanea tarda, granuloma annulare, and sarcoidosis. In 2020, it was widely prescribed both to prevent and to treat COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. Its increased use led to serious supply shortages and in some cases stocks were entirely depleted. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective against COVID-19 and have advised against its use.
ABSTRACT
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. It has a good safety profile, can be used in children and in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and does not suppress the immune system. Regular screening for retinopathy, one of the drug's most feared adverse effects, is necessary. Hydroxychloroquine is a widely used, essential drug in dermatology. Clinical response rates are good in lupus erythematous, where it is a first-line therapy, as well in numerous autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, including lichen planus, polymorphic light eruption, porphyria cutanea tarda, granuloma annulare, and sarcoidosis. In 2020, it was widely prescribed both to prevent and to treat COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. Its increased use led to serious supply shortages and in some cases stocks were entirely depleted. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective against COVID-19 and have advised against its use.
La hidroxicloroquina es un antimalárico con acción inmunomoduladora, antiinflamatoria, antibacteriana y antiviral. Posee un buen perfil de seguridad y puede ser utilizada en niños, en mujeres embarazadas o durante la lactancia, y no produce inmunosupresión. La retinopatía es uno de sus efectos adversos más temidos y requiere controles regulares. La hidroxicloroquina es un fármaco esencial en dermatología, utilizado ampliamente con buenas tasas de respuesta clínica tanto como un tratamiento de primera línea en el lupus eritematoso, como en múltiples dermatosis autoinmunes/inflamatorias como liquen plano, erupción polimorfa lumínica, porfiria cutánea tarda, granuloma anular y sarcoidosis, entre otras. Durante el año 2020 fue prescrita a gran escala como profilaxis y tratamiento de la infección producida por el coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). El aumento de la utilización de hidroxicloroquina produjo serias dificultades para su obtención e incluso desabastecimiento. En metaanálisis recientes se ha concluido que la hidroxicloroquina no es efectiva para el tratamiento de esta patología y se desaconseja su prescripción.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has spread to all regions of the world, where the number of confirmed cases and deaths continues to increase. Dental facilities are at increased risk due to the nature of dental care. The present study was carried out with the objective of determining strengths, weaknesses, threats and possible opportunities regarding the management of dental centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Preparation of dental facilities during the current pandemic, rising costs in the sector, economic losses, and classic dental clinic designs are weaknesses that must be addressed promptly. The risks inherent to the activity must be minimized to the maximum by enhancing the strengths and opportunities detected: through the application of strict biosafety measures, the increase in innovation and research activity and the interprofessional growth of specialists. This Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis can be a useful tool to guide decision making, as it is crucial during the current pandemic to work on weaknesses, avoid threats, and utilize all future opportunities.
ABSTRACT
Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. It has a good safety profile, can be used in children and in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and does not suppress the immune system. Regular screening for retinopathy, one of the drug's most feared adverse effects, is necessary. Hydroxychloroquine is a widely used, essential drug in dermatology. Clinical response rates are good in lupus erythematous, where it is a first-line therapy, as well in numerous autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, including lichen planus, polymorphic light eruption, porphyria cutanea tarda, granuloma annulare, and sarcoidosis. In 2020, it was widely prescribed both to prevent and to treat COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. Its increased use led to serious supply shortages and in some cases stocks were entirely depleted. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective against COVID-19 and have advised against its use.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study is to perform an anonymous, quantitative and descriptive analysis about the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in oral care professionals in the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, during the confinement of the copulation and the beginning of the deescalated. For this, an online self-filling survey was used. It was sento to the oral care professionals working in the Balearic Islands. Dentists and stomatologists (DS), superior technicians in oral hygiene (OH) and superior techniclans in dental prosthesis (DP). The oral care professionals received and answered the survey in the period between June 1st and 30th 2020, using a form served through the Google Forms Gsutt application. 148 professionals responded to the survey, of which 4% reported a positive serology to COVID-19. All positive professionals were from Mallorca and from urban (83,3%) and semi-urban areas (16,6%). Significantly more OH (76%) and DP (88%) did not undergone the COVID test in comparison with DS (49%, p = 0.0008). There was no statistically significant difference between the different professionals regarding the fear of contracting the virus. There was also no statistically significant diference between the type of mask (p=0.6166) used by the professionals. With the results of the present study was possible to find a prevalence of 4% of COVID-19 infection among the oral care professionals of the Balearic Islands who answered the survey.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The ADEMA-UIB University School of Dentistry, faced with the situation caused by COVID-19, has carried out a survey for dentists and stomatologists, superior technicians in oral hygiene and superior technicians in dental prosthesis of the Balearic Islands, in order to know various important aspects of their work and personal situation in relation to COVID-19, as well as the measures adopted and the functionality of the Dental Clinics and the Dental Prosthesis Laboratories, during the confinement of the population and the start of de-escalation. The aim of the study is to know the changes produced in the oral care of the population during this stage of the pandemic. Material and method: We carried out an online self-filling survey, with free access to the 1,482 professionals involved in oral care of the population of the Balearic Islands. The data has been collected between days 1 and 30 of June 2020, through a form served through the Google Forms Gsuit application. This study is quantitative, descriptive and anonymous. Results: The responses received by the 148 professionals who filled in the form, already reported specific percentage trends. After comparing their sociodemographic aspects, individual protection equipment, infections and operations of dental clinics and prosthetic laboratories, significant differences between them were observed. Conclusions: The surveyed population presented a greater exposure to the risk of contracting the viral infection than in the general population. Around 30% of those surveyed have maintained their usual activity and around 15% have declared that they have closed their center. Furthermore, the most frequent masks used by them were surgical masks and FFP2, although among the higher technicians in dental prosthesis the use of surgical masks was more frequent. Discussion: In reference to the data observed in the surveys carried out at a national level, it is worth highlighting some differences between the results from the Balearic Islands surveys and the national ones. While the Balearic Islands had a percentage of 83% in relation to the participation of the urban environment, the national surveys reported a percentage of 58%. Moreover, the use of waterproof suits resulted in 78,7% in the Balearic Islands compared to 15% at a national level and around 11,5% of the participants had difficulties to obtain PPEs in the Islands compared to 80% at a national level. Finally, the number of tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 which have been carried out on the surveyed professionals reached 43.9% in the Balearic Islands compared to just 1% of professionals nationwide, which justifies the underdiagnoses of COVID-19 among the country.
ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a direct impact on the global health system, causing an alarming shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Recent studies have shown that a significant number of healthcare professionals have been contaminated by the COVID-19 at their workplace due to the lack of appropriate PPE. Consequently, the PEE requirements have changed, making the use of filtering face-piece respirators (FFR) N95 and NK95 (FFP2 or FFP3, respectively) mandatory in place of the surgical masks previously used by healthcare professionals. Applying individualized face-seal devices in surgical masks, such as a thermoplastic resin ring, may significantly avoid inhalation of unfiltered air. Besides reducing leakage around the mask, which could convert surgical masks into PPE dual masks due to the high percentage of face-seal, it would allow a bidirectional protection for both healthcare professionals and patients, thus becoming a medical device. The polylactic acid (corn starch) thermoplastic resin ring is the device proposed here to be used in order to decrease leakage of potentially contaminated air. The use of poly lactic acid is of particular interest due to the fact that is a material appropriate for sanitary use, reusable and biodegradable. Therefore, healthcare professionals and organizations can maintain clinical activity in a cost-efficient manner whilst improving clinical safety.