Knowledge, risk perception, and attitudes of Nigerian dentists toward covid-19: pilot study

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 is a highly communicable viral respiratory infectious disease with potential life-threatening capabilities. As caregivers, the healthcare practitioners are at risk of contracting disease.Aim: To explore the knowledge, risk perception, and attitudes of Nigerian dentists toward COVID-19.Material and Methods: This pilot study was a survey of 69 dentists in Nigeria using an e-questionnaire. Collected data was analysed using SPSS version 22 software. Results: The majority (62.3%) of the respondents were within the age range of 20 ­ 29 years, 50.7% were males. All of the respondents had heard of COVID-19 and the most common source of information on the disease was the social media. They all knew about the cause of COVID-19 and also that the virus can be transmitted through respiratory droplets. The majority (≥76%) of them knew about the incubation period, symptoms, and safety measures to be adopted in curbing COVID-19 transmission. They all perceived COVID-19 to be highly contagious and a potential cause of respiratory failure. Amidst other findings, they all felt that it is not safe to see a COVID-19 patient without personal protective gears. Only 4 (5.8%) agreed that HIV/AIDS is better than COVID-19 by far while only 65.2% ([29+16]/69) of them indicated that they would like to help people that are infected with COVID-19. Conclusion: This study suggests that Nigerian dentists have sufficient knowledge and high level of risk perception of COVID19. Despite this high knowledge level, some few of them are still afraid of associating with people having the disease.