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Introduction: Patients' negligence and difficult access to healthcare have an impact on the worsening of emergency conditions, which require immediate treatment due to the possibility of exacerbation in a short period of time. Untreated intra- and extraoral abscesses can have serious consequences on the patient's health and in many cases are life-threatening conditions increasing risk of respiratory obstruction, thrombophlebitis, meningitis, mediastinitis and septicemia. Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the pandemic and the resulting impediments to accessing medical care on the incidence and type of emergencies in the Oral Surgery Department. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study of 85375 patients aged 2 months to 90 years old with diagnosed intra- and extraoral abscesses before COVID-19 pandemic (2018,2019), and during pandemic (2020, 2021) in the Department of Oral Surgery of the Medical University in Lublin. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with the use of a computer program. Conclusions: The fewest patients were admitted in 2020, and the most in 2021, where we can already see the effects of the pandemic. Emergencies occurred most frequently in people aged 21-30, then 31-40. In 365 cases, tooth extraction was performed, and only in 28 cases, root canal treatment was attempted. Conclusions. Oral health service provision has been significantly affected by COVID-19. Patients came to their appointments too late, which in most cases resulted in the necessity of tooth extraction without attempting root canal treatment.
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Background. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chad has had 7,417 confirmed cases and 193 deaths, one of the lowest in Africa. Objective. This study assessed SARS-CoV-2 immunity in N'Djamena. Methods. In August-October 2021, eleven N'Djamena hospitals collected outpatient data and samples. IgG antibodies against SARSCoV- 2 nucleocapsid protein were identified using ELISA. "Bambino Gesu" Laboratory, Rome, Italy, performed external quality control with chemiluminescence assay. Results. 25-34-year-old (35.2%) made up the largest age group at 31.9 12.6 years. 56.4% were women, 1.3 women/men. The 7th district had 22.5% and the 1st 22.3%. Housewives and students dominated. Overall seroprevalence was 69.5% (95% CI: 67.7-71.3), females 68.2% (65.8-70.5) and males 71.2% (68.6-73.8). >44-year-old had 73.9% seroprevalence. Under-15s were 57.4% positive. Housewives (70.9%), civil servants (71.5%), and health workers (9.7%) had the highest antibody positivity. N'Djamena's 9th district had 73.1% optimism and the 3rd district had 52.5%. Seroprevalences were highest at Good Samaritan Hospital (75.4%) and National General Referral Hospital (74.7%). Conclusion. Our findings indicate a high circulation of SARS-CoV- 2 in N'Djamena, despite low mortality and morbidity after the first two COVID-19 pandemic waves. This high seroprevalence must be considered in Chad's vaccine policy.
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Background: Studies show that wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for long periods of time can lead to discomfort such as headaches, which could affect the performance of healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of headaches related to PPE in healthcare workers at a COVID-19 referral hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 174 healthcare workers in a COVID-19 referral hospital in Bali. We conducted interviews using a questionnaire that consisted of three main parts: characteristics of the subjects, PPE usage, and PPE-associated headaches. A multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis results showed that the PPE-associated headaches had a prevalence of 63.8% and were gradual in onset, pressure-like in quality (46%), and mild in intensity (80.1%). PPE level III-associated headache was the most common type. The majority of the participants had headaches up to 6 hours after using the protective gear, but improving within 15-30 minutes of removal and/or after pharmacotherapy. A Chi-squared analysis showed a statistically significant association between duration of PPE use, working units, and PPE levels (p<0.05). A logistic regression analysis found a significant relationship between PPE level and headache occurrence (OR=4.826;95%CI: 2.433-9.572;p<0.001). Conclusion: The frequency of PPE-associated headache was high and the PPE level was a risk factor of headache among healthcare workers. Better strategies are needed to reduce the duration of PPE exposure so that the work performance and quality of life of healthcare workers are not significantly affected.
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Introduction and objective: Diabetes, with its medical complications and societal consequences, is one the most difficult concerns for modern society. The purpose of this narrative review is to characterize the selected public health challenges and opportunities resulting from diabetes in Poland, as well as to identify public health measures that may be adopted to lower the diabetes burden in Poland. Review methods: This narrative review is based on the literature about diabetes in Poland. Scientific papers on diabetes published between 1 January 2010-31 January 2023, available in the PubMed database, were identified using a combination of the following key words: 'diabetes', 'Poland', 'public knowledge', 'management' and 'costs'. Particular attention was paid to the following diabetes-related issues: (1) current and forecast prevalence of diabetes in Poland, (2) diabetic care before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset, (3) public knowledge of diabetes and diabetes risk factors, and (4) public health interventions to reduce the diabetes burden at the population level. Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge: A continuous growth of both the incidence and the prevalence of diabetes is predicted. Due to insufficient public awareness of diabetes risk factors and symptoms, and the health-debt caused by COVID-19 pandemic, a further rise in the number of diabetic complications is expected, as well as an increase in public spending on health care and social insurance systems. Summary: Public health interventions targeted at preventing diabetes and its complications should not be confined to reducing complications and improving diabetes care, but also include a wide range of initiatives aimed at addressing the fundamental causes of diabetes. Future study should look at the cost-effectiveness of such initiatives in order to mobilize different stakeholders and society.
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The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on medical care and medical education in Peru. In response, the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), a charitable medical organization based in the USA, pursued its medical and educational missions in Peru by adopting virtual learning technology. We developed closer collaborative relationships with several medical schools and the Peruvian Association of Medical Schools (ASPEFAM) while offering a faculty panel of twenty-four members to provide lectures and multidisciplinary webinars in Spanish. We conducted 19 webinars including COVID -19 and non-COVID-19 related topics that over the last two years attracted 14,489 participants from 23 countries. They were the foundation for twenty publications in Peruvian medical journals. Our clinical investigations competition was positively received as was our pilot project on research mentorship. The COVID -19 pandemic had a positive effect on the educational mission of PAMS in Peru.
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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the development of adjustment disorder according to the ADNM-20 (Adjustment Disorder New Module-20) scale in participants who were followed up for Covid-19 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September to November 2020. After sample size calculation, we aimed to reach minimum 170 people out of 1290 people who applied to the hospital for Covid-19 disease treatment. Participants were selected from the patients admitted to the hospital using a simple stratified random sampling method. We reached 182 people after treating the patients who were followed up with Covid-19 infection in a University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. A questionnaire and the Adjustment Disorder New Module-20 scale were applied via phone / mail at the end of the 6th month after Covid-19 related hospital admission by researchers. Results: Adjustment disorder was found in 28.8% (n=42) of the participants disorder according to the ADNM-20 scale. While the rate of development of adjustment disorder due to Covid-19-related stress was 26.7% (n=39);the rate of development of adjustment disorder due to non-Covid-19 stress was found to be 2.1% (n=3). With the increase in stress load, the development of adjustment disorder increased significantly. The frequency of developing Covid-19-related stress-related adjustment disorder was statistically significantly increased with the duration of exposure to stress. Conclusion: We have found out that one out of every four people who apply to the hospital for healthcare services due to Covid-19 infection may develop an adjustment disorder. Assessment of the adjustment disorder more frequently and making early interventions may contribute to the prevention of progressive mental disorders.
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Background: D-dimer and LDH are crucial biomarkers, particularly in view of the fact that they have been strongly linked to COVID-19 infection and have been linked to worse consequences in people who have severe viral infections. Objectives: To determine how D-dimer and LDH correlated with clinical effects in COVID-19 patients who were hospitalised and how they forecasted the severity of COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: This was cross-sectional research conducted relatively early in the second wave of the pandemic. A total of 110 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the ICU from January 2021 to June 2021, were included in the study. The clinical outcome was evaluated in terms of discharge and death among patients requiring various forms of assisted ventilation. Results: The average age of patients was 53.16 years (+or- 18.47 years). 35.5% of the patients were with comorbidities of which diabetes, hypertension, and COPD were around 80%. D-dimer was deranged in 2.7% of the subjects and LDH was deranged in 60% of the study subjects at the time of admission. Coming on to the outcome, all patients were put on assisted ventilation with 71.8% on NIV, 20% on HFNO, 1% on CPAP, and 7.2% on MV. During their hospital stays, 6 (5.45%) patients died and the remaining patients were discharged. A higher D-dimer value (> 1.5 g/ml) during the hospital stay was found to be statistically significant with assisted ventilation and deaths of the admitted study subjects. Conclusion: In our investigation, the biomarker D-dimer value was more associated than LDH with mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the performance of several sectors, one of which is the quality of maternal and child health services. One of the factors contributing to the decline in the quality of maternal and child health services is limited access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine is here as one of the answers to overcome the problem of limited access to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to analyze the use of telemedicine applications by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic using the ISO 9241-11 framework. Subjects and Method: This research method is an observational study with a descriptive approach to analyze usability in three measurement aspects namely effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The number of samples used was 42 pregnant women who had used telemedicine applications that had been determined during the COVID-19 period with a sampling technique using random sampling. The instrument used is an adaptation of the Standardized Usability Questionnaire (SUQ) which will be analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) technique to determine the usability score of the application. Results: Based on the results of the Structural Equation Model-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) analysis, the ISO 9241-11 model has a goodness-of-fit model with an R-square value of 0.760 and a Q-square value of 0.577 with a Goodness of Fit (GoF) of 0.780. The effectiveness variable has a significant effect on the usability variable of the Teman Bumil application at a significance level of 5% with a statistical T value of 1,955. There is not enough evidence for the efficiency and satisfaction variables to say they have a significant effect on the usability of the Teman Bumil application at a 5% significance level with T-statistic values of 0.866 and 1.452. The usability score for the Friends Pregnant application is 44.45. Conclusion: The usability score obtained by the Teman Bumil application is 44.45, which means that Sahabat Bumil application has not been accepted by users as a system product that can help effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily.
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Various Slovenian hospitals were recruited to treat COVID-19 patients in Slovenia during the COVID-19 epidemic. Centrally coordinated hospital utilisation - depending on the needs, available hospital bed capacity, and considering the professional orientation of individual hospitals - left these facilities with different experiences. We present our experience and COVID-19 treatment management during the fourth epidemic wave in our peripheral, pulmonary-oriented hospital, representing the first treatment quality analysis of these patients in Slovenia. The basic hospitalization characteristics were analysed using integrated Birpis information system solutions and the electronic temperature-therapeutic charts (eTTL) review. The quality of management was assessed through adherence to professional recommendations. The analysis was carried out with the in-built statistical functions of Microsoft Excel software. 99 patients (58 women, 41 men) aged 67.9 years were hospitalised for an average of 8.1 days. The majority were residents of our region (61%), unvaccinated (61.6%), and experienced a severe form of the disease with the need for oxygen supplementation (88.9%). The majority received steroids (73.7%), antibiotics (68.7%) and vitamin D (71.7%), to a lesser extent specific therapy (remdesivir 25.3%, combination casirivimab/imdevimab 2%, tocilizumab 1%). No adverse reactions were noted. 17 people died (total mortality rate 17.2%). There was no infection transmission among the COVID department staff. Results show successful treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Topolsica Hospital. They also suggest the possibility of further improvements, particularly in prescribing antibiotic therapy.
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Introduction: Faced with the pandemic produced by SARS-CoV-2, the Peruvian government implemented several measures such as the temporary closure of primary care facilities and the health system implemented various policies and strategies;one of them was to create and implement the Drug Delivery System for Chronic Patients (SIENMECRO) project. Background: To describe the creation and implementation process of SIENMECRO project. Methods: Qualitative case study that involved reviewing existing documentation such as texts and videos and conducting in-depth interviews with officials and collaborators involved since the preparation of SIENMECRO proposal. Results: SIENMECRO project emerges as a positive initiative with the aspiration of promoting an integrated health system that addresses the health reality from the social determinants of health, due to patients' difficulties to go to their controls and to receive their treatment. Although there was no comprehensive plan for the implementation and control of the project, it was essential to cover the need for health care for a vulnerable segment of the population, avoiding their transfer and preserving the health of the people most likely to suffer complications from COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: It is an initiative where the health system takes a more proactive role for the benefit of the population, implementing the use of technology of the information and communication in health care, articulating with the various providers and bringing services closer to the most vulnerable citizens.
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Disasters and crises such as COVID-19 can have a negative effect on the images of tourism destinations. However, existing studies have mainly focused on the recovery of such images after crises;little research has examined the reasons for reversing the image of epidemic-resistant tourism destinations and their renewed popularity. This article investigates tourism destination image management in the context of epidemics. By means of the underdog effect, this paper examines the influence of two factors-the severity of an epidemic and degree of anti-epidemic efforts-on public willingness to travel following that epidemic;it does so through a pre-study and two formal experiments, and it investigates the mechanisms underlying the effect of those two factors on willingness to travel. The following findings emerged. First, public perceptions of tourism destinations' anti-epidemic efforts were mainly evident in four ways: government measures, social support, tourism labor actions, and destination residents' attitudes. Second, there was an interactive effect between the degree of tourism destinations' anti-epidemic efforts and the severity of the epidemic in tourism destinations: destinations with high epidemic severity received the same public support as those with low epidemic severity when they displayed a higher degree of anti-epidemic efforts. Third, public empathic responses played a mediating role in those processes. The theoretical contributions of this paper are as follows. First, it enhances research on the recovery of tourism destination image in the context of disasters and crises;it proposes the novel idea of underdog image building as a way of reversing tourism destination image. Second, it expands theoretical research on the underdog effect in tourism: it shows that in the context of public health events such as epidemics, the underdog effect has its own conditions and time influences. Third, this study enriches research on tourists' emotions and feelings: it clarifies the important role of tourism destinations' efforts to deal with epidemics and reverse the negative impacts of an epidemic. This paper provides suggestions for reversing the negative image of tourism destinations and promoting positive emotions for marketing following public health emergencies. This study finds that tourism destinations should do the following. First, modify information related to an underdog state to promote the image of the destination. Second, fully utilize public emotional resources and promote emotional advantages. Third, prevent problems before they arise and improve the tourism public health system.
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The onset of COVID- 19 pandemic has resulted in the transition from the conventional face to face health care strategies to computerized approaches, considering distances, the importance of quarantine, and early diagnosis and management. As far as the rapid management of the infection is concerned, telemedicine has been introduced as a beneficial approach. The use of telemedicine is thought to decrease the risk of cross contamination. Moreover, it provides the access to the health care for remote locations. The health care staff can use the computational analyses to get rapid access to the accurate epidemiological and laboratory data. The risk assessment provided by the mathematical models seems beneficial for decision-making in regards to the prognosis and management. We aimed to explore the breakthrough of telemedicine regarding the pandemic, also attempting to describe the related problems and challenges.
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The National Public Health Institutes (NPHI), members of the Latin American Regional Network of the International Association of National Institutes of Public Health, met face to face at the headquarters of the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, in the City of Cuernavaca, from October 5 to 7, 2022, with the participation of the directors or their representatives of the NPHIs of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Suriname and representatives of the South American Sub regional Program (SAM), and the Central American Sub regional Program (CAM) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Organization of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (OTCA), the Andean Health Agency/Hipolito Unanue Agreement (ORAS/CONHU) and the Central American Integration System (SICA/COMISCA), analyzing the role of the NPHI in combating health inequities;in confronting the global climate and environmental crisis;combating hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition;successes and challenges in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic;strengthening and continuous improvement of integrated disease surveillance and preparedness for health emergencies;as well as the various existing regional and sub-regional health cooperation programs, noticing that: 1. In the current scenario, the dominating development model is a generator of growing social inequalities, which determine serious inequities in the health conditions of our peoples. 2. Likewise, the current model of production and consumption, adopted at the global level, has increased hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition that possibly constitute nowadays the main health problem in our region. 3. The environmental crisis, which is also a product of the current global development model, has a significant impact on human and animal health and the interaction between both. 4. The NPHIs have played a role of major relevance in confronting the Covid-19 pandemic, not fully applying, however, their full potential for research and for proposing national plans for the disease control. 5. Health surveillance systems, in most of our countries, suffer from significant fragmentation between various sectors and within the health sector itself, implying, in any case, reactive actions that do not allow for anticipating the emergence of new pathologies or health emergencies. 6. The various regional and sub regional cooperation agencies and programs offer an enormous capacity for synergies and mutual cooperation.
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Objective: To build a quality evaluation system for emergency pre-test and triage under a normal COVID-19 epidemic, based on the Servqual model, and to improve the effect of emergency epidemic prevention and control and the quality of emergency pre-testing and triage under the normalization of COVID-19 epidemics. Methods: Based on the Servqual model, a quality evaluation system of emergency pre-examination and triage under the normalization of COVID-19 epidemic was developed. Two rounds of expert consultation were conducted by the Delphi method, involving 15 experts. Results: The recovery rates for the two rounds of expert consultation were 100%, the expert authority coefficient was 0.954, and the Kendall coordination coefficients were 0.273 and 0.182 . The coefficients of variation of the three-level indicators of the two rounds of expert consultation were 0.003-0.275 and 0.052-0.125, respectively. An evaluation system including 5 first-level indicators, 14 second-level indicators and 42 third-level indicators of 5 dimensions (feasibility, reliability, responsiveness, security, empathy) of the Servqual model was established. Conclusion: Based on the Servqual model, a quality evaluation system for emergency pre-examination and triage under the normalization of the COVID-19 epidemic situation was completed. It reflects the medical services, triage and epidemic prevention and control required to provide the requisite quality of emergency pre-examination and triage under the normalization of the COVID-19 epidemic situation. It provides a reference for the quality supervision of emergency pre-examination and triage under the normalization of the COVID-19 epidemic situation.
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Background: The onset of the coronavirus pandemic created diverse stressors for families with small children such as isolation, limited public and private childcare options, and balancing work and childcare. Fear of the future, feelings of uncertainty and loneliness led to a rise in mental health problems. Public family support services also faced significant challenges: while families felt more need for support, established means of reaching families and providing services were severely curtailed. Objectives: The current study aimed at capturing pandemic-related changes in family needs and at documenting experiences in the use of newly developed analog and digital services provided by public family support institutions in the city of Hamburg, Germany. Materials and methods: We conducted focus groups with staff members of different types of public family support services and parents who were using these services. Central topics of discussion were pandemic-related experiences and ideas for the future of public family support services. Results: Results confirm an increase in family pressures. Parents and staff members missed low-threshold accessibility of services and personal contact and dialogue. Creative approaches to complement services digitally were developed. Several of these approaches were considered beneficial, especially for reaching new target groups and strengthening interprofessional cooperation in the field. Conclusions: In-person support services need to be upheld. However, digital services can effectively complement analog formats. A successful combination requires effective resource distribution and staff member qualification measures.
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Health is a multifaceted issue and providing and promoting all its dimensions is an interdisciplinary task. Examination of crisis conditions shows that the retention of health human resources is very important due to the high volume of work in these conditions. Due to the severity of the prevalence of COVID-19, the health system must have an acceptable plan for dealing with this disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the retention and stability of human resources in crises. We used a critical review method using specific keywords ("human resources retention", "COVID-19", and some other related keywords) in, Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and SID databases until September 2022 without time limitation. Reviewers screened founded studies separately and finally, we summarized the main results of 12 eligible articles. Four main strategies (Organizational management and leadership, risk reduction, improving the mental health of health workers, and financial and welfare support) are possible solutions to reduce healthcare workers' burnout and increase their resilience to this hard situation. It seems that planning, appropriate policy-making to implement the solutions found, division of tasks, and compilation of a national document on human resource protection in crises with the cooperation of people and officials can be very helpful.
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Background: There exists a treatment dilemma regarding the optimal and effective use of therapeutic drugs (hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine/azithromycin) for COVID-19. Furthermore, with changing guidelines, the data on drug utilization patterns across India are limited. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the prescription pattern and drug utilization trends in COVID-19 patients with the aim to study the drug utilization pattern in patients affected with COVID-19 in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) To study drug utilization patterns according to the severity of the disease. (2) To study the prevalence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 100 medical records of patients 18 years irrespective of sex admitted in the COVID ward and ICU of a dedicated COVID hospital from May to August 2020. Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from the study. ADRs reported were also analyzed. Results: About 71% were mild in this study, 18% were moderate, and 11% were severe COVID-19 patients. Overall, the most common drugs prescribed were multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin. Hydroxychloroquine was prescribed in 22%, favipiravir in 7%, and remdesivir in 3% of cases. The majority of moderate COVID patients received injectables piperacillin-tazobactam, methylprednisolone, and enoxaparin. The mean number of medications, duration of admission, and number of days on oxygen were higher and significant in moderate compared to mild and severe COVID patients. Overall, ADRs were encountered in 9% of cases. Conclusion: The prescribed pattern of drugs was by the national standard guidelines. Multivitamins, followed by pantoprazole, paracetamol, and azithromycin dominated the prescription pattern. Polypharmacy was encountered, which needs to be addressed for the rational use of drugs.
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Background: Monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO). We examined the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin antibodies in southwestern Iran in spring 2020. The circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is high in the general population, especially among health care workers (HCWs) who are in close contact with patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen in high-risk occupational and low-risk groups to investigate risk factors for serum positivity in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed on 366 participants (204 from high-risk and 162 from low-risk subjects). IgG and IgM antibodies were detected using Pishtaz Teb COVID-19 ELISA Kits to evaluate SARS-CoV-2-antigen in serum samples. After enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum prevalence, as well as IgG/IgM positive factors, was determined using logistic regression. Results: From July to September 2020 (a few months after reporting the first case of COVID-19 cases in Iran), out of 366 survived people, 72 (40.9%) were IgG positive, and 50 (27.5%) were IgM positive. The frequency of positive serology for IgG and IgM antibodies in individuals aged < 30 years was higher in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group. Multivariate logistic regression showed that headache (OR 0.312 [95% CI: 0.136 - 0.717]) and cough (OR 0.427 [95% CI: 0.182 - 1.004]) factors were associated with IgG or IgM positive serology. Conclusions: Between July and September 2020, the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen was high in Shiraz. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies in the high-risk group and their family as low risk was shown to increase viral infection due to close contact with COVID 19 patients than in the general population. Several factors were found to be related to the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antigen that needs to be considered by policymakers to determine what to do about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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This special issue contains 11 s that discuss recent learnings and developments in healthcare financing from a global perspective. The s cover a range of topics such as the impact of mental illness on poverty and catastrophic health expenditure in India, financing challenges in the American healthcare industry, comparative analysis of health system financing in India and Saudi Arabia, and the contribution of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme to inequality in healthcare utilisation. Other s explore the influence of socio-economic status on health financing choices in Jambi Province, households' willingness to pay for community-based health insurance in Bangladesh, and changes in household expenditures during the first wave of COVID-19 in India. The issue also includes discussions on managing the provider-purchaser split in India and reconsidering patient value to create better healthcare.
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Background: This study's objective was to analyse the fear of COVID-19 among the dentistry student and the knowledge, attitude, and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: It was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. An online survey form was designed and distributed to undergraduate dental students via google forms. A previously validated fear of coronavirus scale (FCV-19S) was used to analyse the fear. SPSS 21 was used for data entry and data analysis. Descriptive statistics were applied to calculate the frequencies of different variables. Independent t-test was executed to determine the difference of FCV-19S among gender and between public and private dental colleges. ANOVA was carried out to evaluate the difference in fear among different levels of BDS. Results: Data of 983 individuals from different dental colleges in Karachi, Pakistan, have been analysed. The majority of the students were females in 1st year and private sector dental colleges (P<0.001). The mean FCV-19S was 20.99 +or- 6.48, which is higher than the cut-off value 15. A highly significant difference in mean FCV-19S among the different variables has been observed (P<0.001). A significant difference has been observed among the gender (t (932) = -5.40, p<0.001) in all 4-years of BDS. Conclusion: Despite good knowledge and following the COVID-19 guidelines, fear is prevalent among the students.