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.