Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among oral health care workers worldwide: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to answer the following question 'What are the worldwide prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated factors among oral health-care workers (OHCWs) before vaccination?' METHODS: Seven databases and registers as well as three grey databases were searched for observational studies in the field. Paired reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality. Overall seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 infection was analysed using a random-effect model subgrouped by professional category. Meta-regression was used to explore whether the Human Development Index (HDI) influenced the heterogeneity of results. The associated factors were narratively evaluated, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included (five cohorts and twelve cross-sectional studies), summing 73 935 participants (54 585 dentists and 19 350 dental assistants/technicians) from 14 countries. The overall estimated pooled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among OHCWs was 9.3% (95% CI, 5.0%-14.7%; I2  = 100%, p < .01), being 9.5% for dentists (95% CI, 5.1%-15.0%; I2  = 100%, p < .01) and 11.6% for dental assistants/technicians (95% CI, 1.6%-27.4%; I2  = 99.0%, p < .01). In the meta-regression, countries with lower HDI showed higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (p = .002). Age, comorbidities, gender, ethnicity, occupation, smoking, living in areas of greater deprivation, job role and location/municipalities, income and protective measures in dental settings were associated with positive serological SARS-CoV-2 test, with very low certainty of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: The SARS-CoV-2 virus infected 9.3% of the OHCWs evaluated worldwide before vaccination. OHCWs should be included in policy considerations, continued research, monitoring and surveillance (PROSPERO CRD42021246520).

SARS-CoV-2 infection among Brazilian dentists: a seroprevalence study.

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among Brazilian dentists and its associated factors. Stratified random sampling of dentists from 33 administrative regions of the Federal District (Brazil) was performed. The presence of antibodies was verified by the OnSite COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test. Participants answered a survey about sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to COVID-19, and professional practice. A chi-square test was performed between serostatus and exposure variables. Mann-Whitney tests were carried out for quantitative variables. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. A series of binomial logistic regression models was performed. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among 324 selected dentists was 19.1%. There was a statistically significant association between seropositivity and previous confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, loss of taste or smell, diagnosis of COVID-19 in a household member, and treatment of a patient with fever. Dentists with a previous confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 had 29.5 [12.7-68.4] higher odds to exhibit positive serology test results. Dentists with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in a household member had 2.5 [1.1-5.3] times higher odds to exhibit positive serology test results. Professionals with loss of taste or smell in the last 15 days had 5.24 [1.1-24.1] times higher odds to exhibit positive serology test results, and, for those who had treated patients with fever, there were 2.99 [1.03-8.7] times higher odds to exhibit negative serology test results. There was a similar prevalence rate of infection among dentists and in the general population. Nevertheless, this finding applies to the epidemiological situation in 2020, before the development of vaccines and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.

Mental health effects prevalence in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic health crisis has changed household and school routines leaving children and adolescents without important anchors in life. This, in turn, can influence their mental health, changing their behavioral and psychological conditions. AIMS: To systematically review the literature to answer the question: "What is the worldwide prevalence of mental health effects in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic?". METHODS: Embase, Epistemonikos database, LILACS, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and World Health Organization Global literature on coronavirus disease were searched. Grey literature was searched on Google Scholar, Grey Literature Report, and Preprint server MedRxiv. Observational studies assessing the prevalence of mental health effects in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Four authors independently collected the information and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. RESULTS: From a total of 11,925 identified studies, 2873 remained after the removal of the duplicated records. Nineteen studies remained after the final selection process. The proportion of emotional symptoms and behavior changes varied from 5.7% to 68.5%; anxiety 17.6% to 43.7%, depression 6.3% to 71.5%, and stress 7% to 25%. Other outcomes such as the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (85.5%) and suicidal ideation (29.7% to 31.3%) were also evaluated. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Overall findings showed that the proportion of children and adolescents presenting mental health effects during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a wide variation in different countries. However, there was a trend toward mental health issues. Therefore, policymakers, healthcare planners, youth mental health services, teachers, parents, and researchers need to be prepared to deal with this demand.

The role of teledentistry in oral cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: an integrative literature review.

OBJECTIVES: This integrative review aimed to assess the benefits of the use of teledentistry for patients undergoing treatment of oral and head and neck cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched in PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, Embase, Open Grey, Google Scholar, and Jstor databases for studies referring to the management, control, and assistance, through teledentistry, to patients with oral and head and neck cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: We found 356 references in the databases, 209 after duplicates removal, 23 met criteria for full-text reading, and 11 studies were included for qualitative synthesis, in four categories: virtual visits, use of remote technology, patient's satisfaction, multidisciplinary approach in teledentistry. We found that 78% of patients currently preferred teledentistry; 92% of patients would recommend the use of video consultation to other patients. The continuity of dental care, the reduction of patient visits to the hospital, the reduction of the risk of infection with the coronavirus, and limitation of face-to-face consultations to protect health professionals are benefits that reinforce the use of teledentistry by health institutions. Two studies showed patients' satisfaction with the use of teledentistry in monitoring cancer patients and showed an improvement in quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The teledentistry, as a remote technology for monitoring patients with oral and head and neck cancer, is well accepted by patients in preliminary studies. Although these studies pointed out some benefits of using remote technologies for the care of cancer patients, further robust scientific evidence is still needed in this regard.