ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic causes an increase in oral health inequalities, restriction of oral health promotion programs and preventive oral health services for the community. According to the common risk approach, oral health services should be integrated into primary health care services in order to manage oral diseases that share the same risk factors with chronic systemic diseases. Multidisciplinary studies should be focused on public health practices by adopting the "One Health" concept. In order to increase the popuation based oral health outcomes, there is a need for oral health promotion programs that take into account the cooperation between sectors, working flexibility, capacity, the ethical rules of social justice, equality and human rights within the framework of the biopsychosocial approach. Information technologies and social media networks should be used to increase the literacy of the population on "COVID-19 and Oral Health". In this period, it is also important to carry out oral health needs assessment at population level through surveillance and public health studies. Priority should be given to programs for the protection and improvement of oral health among disadvantaged groups, children and the elderly who have difficulty in accessing oral health services due to limitation of movement and social determinants of health.
ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared as a pandemic disease by the World Health Organization on 11th March, 2020. Various information has been shared from many sources regarding the protection of individuals at risk, especially health care workers after appearance of cases in Turkey, Dentists constitute a high risk group due to the fact that the social distance required for prevention cannot be achieved and because of the transmission probability of the SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19 through aerosols and droplets during clinical procedures. In this review, the risks of transmission of COVID-19 in dentistry, general principles of prevention, the limits of emergency treatment other than elective treatments, and financial and ethical issues related to the subject in dental hospitals and clinics are discussed in the light of current literature and some suggestions are put forward.
ABSTRACT
Aim: We aimed to investigate the relationship between increased lactate values and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary training and research hospital. According to the order of application, a total of 316 patients over the age of 18 who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of COVID-19 during the two months and whose data could be completely accessed were included in the study retrospectively. Plasma lactate values and mortality within 28 days were determined. Results: The median age of the patients was 69 years. Of the patients, 53.5% were male, 72.2% had comorbidities, and the most common comorbidity was COPD (13.0%). Of the patients, 83.5% were hospitalized. The mean lactate value of the patients was 2.05 +/- 1.45mmol / L. Mortality developed in 14.2% of the patients during the first 28 days. The 28-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with a positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) (23.8%) than that of negative PCR (8.2%) (p < 0.001). The lactate level was found to be significantly different in both PCR positive and negative groups in which mortality developed within 28 days (p < 0.001;p < 0.001). If the cut-off value of lactate in terms of mortality was 2.45, the sensitivity and specificity were determined as 80.0% and 81.2%, respectively. Conclusion: In patients with COVID-19 infection, the blood lactate level examined at the first admission to ED can be used as a practical screening test to predict mortality.