Abstract
Background: This study aimed to assess the knowledge about guidelines related to COVID-19 infection control procedures among dental health care professionals (DHCPs) in the Jazan region. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving DHCPs (dental students, interns, and dentists) of the Jazan region between January and March 2021. A questionnaire with 35 items was developed and circulated online among the DHCPs. The dimensionality of the questionnaire was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The level of awareness (LOA) was compared across the genders, level of professional experience, and exposure to guidelines. Participants were considered to have high LOA when they responded to 26 or more items correctly. Results: A total of 363 DHCPs participated in the survey. The questionnaire was found to be valid and reliable. EFA revealed a distinct three-factor structure. Moreover, 61.2% of the respondents had high LOA related to COVID-19 infection prevention. Among those who had high LOA, dentists (65.5%) were relatively more than the students (62.5%) and interns (46.2%). Among the six guideline statements related explicitly to operative dentistry, more than 50% of the respondents were aware of 3 guideline statements, while less than 50% of the respondents were aware of the remaining statements. Conclusions: Most DHCP had a high LOA for general COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidelines. Dentists, males, and those who read the guidelines had higher LOA than their counterparts.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, that spreads from one infected person to another.The virus can spread through the mouth, nose, or eyes in the form of droplets, aerosols, and sometimes through contaminated surfaces [1,2]
Among 35 guideline statements, more than 50% of the participants were aware of 26 guideline statements
The majority of dental health care professionals (DHCPs) had high level of awareness (LOA) regarding the general guidelines related to infection prevention and control of COVID-19
Summary
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, that spreads from one infected person to another. The virus can spread through the mouth, nose, or eyes in the form of droplets, aerosols, and sometimes through contaminated surfaces [1,2]. The WHO announced COVID-19 disease as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. According to the World Health Organization [3], Int. J. This study aimed to assess the knowledge about guidelines related to COVID19 infection control procedures among dental health care professionals (DHCPs) in the Jazan region
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