Wear Face Research Articles

Time trends and modifiable factors of COVID-19 contact tracing coverage, Geneva, Switzerland, June 2020 to February 2022.

BackgroundContact tracing was one of the central non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented worldwide to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but its effectiveness depends on its ability to detect contacts.AimEvaluate the proportion of secondary infections captured by the contact tracing system in Geneva.MethodsWe analysed 166,892 concomitant infections occurring at the same given address from June 2020 until February 2022 using an extensive operational database of SARS-CoV-2 tests in Geneva. We used permutation to compare the total number of secondary infections occurring at the same address with that reported through manual contact tracing.ResultsContact tracing captured on average 41% of secondary infections, varying from 23% during epidemic peaks to 60% during low epidemic activity. People living in wealthy neighbourhoods were less likely to report contacts (odds ratio (OR): 1.6). People living in apartment buildings were also less likely to report contacts than those living in a house (OR: 1.1-3.1) depending on the SARS-CoV-2 variant, the building size and the presence of shops. This under-reporting of contacts in apartment buildings decreased during periods of mandatory wearing of face masks and restrictions on private gatherings.ConclusionContact tracing alone did not detect sufficient secondary infections to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Campaigns targeting specific populations, such as those in wealthy areas or apartment buildings, could enhance coverage. Additionally, measures like wearing face masks, improving ventilation and implementing restrictions on gatherings should also be considered to reduce infections resulting from interactions that may not be perceived as high risk.

You Wear Face Mask, I Keep Social Distance: Comparing COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors between China and the United States

Prior research suggests that collectivism predicts international consumers’ compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. However, across two cross-sectional studies, we demonstrated that Chinese consumers were more likely to wear face masks and stay at home; while U.S. consumers were more likely to wash hands and keep a social distance. Indeed, when U.S. consumers perceived the pandemic to be more severe and were more health-conscious, they were more likely to comply with COVID-19 preventive behaviors than the Chinese. Adopting a multifactorial model, we offer a holistic view of consumer responses to COVID-19. We also provide insights for marketers and policymakers.

A Lockdown a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: The Global Effectiveness of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions in Mitigating the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract Countries have employed a variety of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in order to curtail the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the success of individual measures in reducing the number of infections remains controversial. This article exploits a panel dataset of 181 countries to estimate the effects of 12 NPIs on the spread of the disease in 2020. The employed fixed effects estimation greatly reduces endogeneity concerns. Estimated coefficients imply that while almost all measures had a dampening effect on the reproduction rate of the virus, school closings and restrictions on gatherings were most effective. The obligation to wear face masks was more effective during the second wave. Measures requiring significant resources, such as testing, were more effective in developed countries. (JEL codes: C13, C23, D04, and I18)

Development and testing of a questionnaire on the expectations and experiences with wearing face masks in inpatient and day hospitals.

The Covid-19 pandemic made wearing of face masks mandatory in the psychotherapeutic context. Against this background, the present study aimed to compare the expectations of patients undergoing day-hospital or inpatient treatment regarding wearing a mask in psychotherapy before the start of therapy with the final experience after the end of therapy. The study also investigated the extent to which expectations and experiences were influenced by other factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, patients' general attitudes towards wearing a mask, duration of treatment, or mental health diagnoses. Patients' expectations and experiences were recorded using two versions of a self-developed questionnaire: the pre-version, which was administered before the start of therapy and recorded expectations, and the post-version, which was administered after the end of therapy and recorded the final experiences. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted for the questionnaire's pre- and post-version. T-tests for paired samples were calculated to compare the patients' expectations regarding the extracted factors with the final experiences. Bivariate correlations were calculated to explore the association of other potential factors with expectations and experiences. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure: communication barriers, self-confidence, and infection protection. The communication barriers expected by the patients before the start of the therapy turned out to be significantly higher than ultimately experienced after the therapy. Higher age correlated significantly negatively with expectations and experiences, with less self-confidence expected and experienced in therapy with a mask by older patients. There was a significant positive correlation between the expectations and the duration of treatment. Patients' general attitudes correlated significantly with their expectations and experiences. Based on the results, wearing a mask does not appear to negatively impact the success of psychotherapy from the patient's perspective. However, patient-specific characteristics also appear to play a role in this context.

Involvement of community health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic response in Uganda: A qualitative study.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a key human resource for health particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In many parts of the world, CHWs are known to have played an instrumental role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the involvement of CHWs in the COVID-19 response in Uganda. A qualitative study that involved 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) among CHWs was conducted. The study was carried out in 5 districts of Amuria, Karenga, Kamwenge, Bugiri and Pader. The FGD guide used explored the role of CHWs in the COVID-19 response in their communities including lived experiences, challenges, and coping mechanisms. The data were analyzed thematically with the support of NVivo version 12 pro (QSR International). CHWs were at the frontline of COVID-19 prevention interventions at households and in the community. CHWs raised awareness on prevention measures including wearing face masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing. They identified suspected cases such as new members entering the community, as well as individuals returning from abroad with signs and symptoms of COVID-19. CHWs mobilized the community and increased awareness on COVID-19 vaccination which played an important role in reducing misinformation. They also supported home-based management of mild COVID-19 cases through isolation of patients; provided health and nutritional guidance among patients in their homes; and referred suspected cases to health facilities for testing and management. Both monetary and non-monetary incentives were provided to support CHWs in the COVID-19 response. However, the adequacy and timing of the incentives were inadequate. Routine services of CHWs such as health promotion and treatment of childhood illnesses were disrupted during the pandemic. CHWs played an instrumental role in response to the pandemic especially on surveillance, risk communication, and observance of preventing measures. Strategies to ensure that routine services of CHWs are not disrupted during pandemics are needed.

Masked Face Recognition Using FaceNet Algorithm

In the past three years, the entire world has been exposed to a new virus, COVID-19. It has become very difficult to deal with the fingerprint system, as the exchange of things and contact with devices by more than one person is a good way to transmit the virus. Accordingly, many institutions and organizations have resorted to using face prints as an alternative to handprints to identify people and record the attendance of employees in general. Since the virus is a virus that infects the respiratory system, people are forced to wear face masks or the so-called masks to avoid transmission of the virus during coughing by the infected person. Since the wearing of masks greatly affects the facial features, it was necessary to come up with a technology that allows the identification of masked faces, and this is the subject of our study. Since the face loses many of its features while wearing masks, an algorithm was proposed to recognize the face and train the convolutional neural networks (CNN) through some of the main facial features, including 3D imaging, as it was concluded that the triple loss does not apply to our data sets, as 3D selection has less loss compared to 2D image, Due to its ability to select all feature samples from feature spaces with larger distances between layers and reduced distances between regions, a large cosine loss was utilized as the training loss function. In order to reach a model that deals more with areas not covered by the mask, the input unit was designed, as its function is to combine the Inception- Resent unit and the Convolutional Mass unit, and so, any portion of the face that isn't covered gains weight, thus increasing the importance of those areas in the recognition of masked faces, and experiments that were conducted on several sets of masked faces data showed that the algorithm works to significantly increase the accuracy of masking face recognition, and it can accurately recognize the face using masks.

Awareness of the Protective Measures Against Covid-19 among Turkish Dentists: A Questionnaire Survey

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the entire world. This study aims to evaluate Turkish dentists’ awareness of and protective measures against COVID-19 infection.
 Methods: A web-based questionnaire consisting of 35 closed-ended and multiple-choice questions was prepared according to Turkish Dental Association guidelines. The questionnaire was divided into three domains: demographic data, precautionary measures, and attitude. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Istanbul University institutional review board. questionnaire was sent to the dentists registered with the Turkish Dental Association. The minimum sample size was calculated as 756 individuals. The Chi-Square test was used to evaluate the difference for categorical variables. Statistical significance was accepted as p< .05.
 Results: A total of nine hundred and ninety-seven questionnaires was analyzed. Five hundred and sixty-three respondents (56.5%) were general dentists, and 434 (43.5%) were specialists. Seven hundred and thirty-five (73.7%) dentists were found to wear disposable gowns, N95/FFP2 masks, and face shields. About half (48.1%) were confident of avoiding infection. Twenty-one (2.1%) subjects were SARS-Cov-2 positive. A majority of both dentists who had COVID-19 (71.4%) and dentists who did not have it (92.7%) agreed that COVID-19 is an occupational risk (p< .001).
 Conclusion: Although nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported using personal protective equipment, greater precautionary measures should be taken by dental staff to protect the patients from COVID-19 and other contagious diseases.

Wear characteristics and performance in side milling of Ti2AlNb intermetallic alloys with coated and uncoated end mills

Ti2AlNb intermetallic alloy is highly suitable for aerospace key component manufacturing due to its low density, exceptional temperature strength, high specific strength, and creep resistance. However, the poor machining quality and severe tool wear appear, because of their poor thermal conductivity and excellent high temperature strength performance. In this paper, the coated and uncoated end mills are performed to investigate the tool wear characteristics during side milling of Ti2AlNb intermetallic alloys. In addition, the milling forces, tool service life, tool wear morphologies and mechanisms are discussed in detail. Results indicate that the coated and uncoated end mills suffered severe tool wear in the side milling process, leading to a rapid increase in milling forces. The coated end mill exhibited a longer service life of tools than the uncoated end mill. The service life of coated end mill reaches 6 min, primarily limited by flank wear and accompanied by chipping, whereas the uncoated end mill had a service life restricted to 2 min due to tool tip breakage. Tool wear morphologies of coated and uncoated end mills include rake face wear and flank face wear. Typical characteristics (e.g., crater wear, built-up edge, chipping and adhesion) are observed on the rake face of the both coated and uncoated end mills. On the flank face of the coated end mill, the chip adhesion, micro-chipping, chipping and coating delamination are found, whereas only chip adhesion and micro-chipping appear for uncoated end mill. Furthermore, the primary mechanisms of wear for both coated and uncoated end mills are adhesive wear and oxidation wear, which occur on both the rake face and flank face.

Urban Slums Morbidity Spectrum: A Cross Sectional Study on Korogocho Slum, Kenya

Community health outreach is part of community-based health care, an extension of facility-based primary care services used to reach the underserved. Slums population in sub-Sahara Africa has been growing by 9 million persons per year making slum occupancy to form more than 56% of urban settlements. A slum is characterized by inadequate access to safe water, inadequate access to sanitation and infrastructure, poor structural quality of housing, overcrowding, and insecure residential status. People in slums due to their environment are more vulnerable to communicable diseases, respiratory diseases, malnutrition and accidents. The main objective was to identify the 10 top most prevalent diseases in Korogocho slums. A cross-sectional study design was applied. Study period was between January 2021 and December 2021. Data was collected through a series of 12 Community health outreach sessions at Korogocho slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Secondary data was extracted and analyzed using SPSS version 25.A total of 3699 individuals were treated, there were more females (67.96%) than males (32.01%) and at least 1 person was identified as a transgender. Age group of 0 to 59 months (472 patients) had more males than females while 19 to 59 years old (1413 patients) females formed majority of Community health outreach attendants. Modal age group was 19 to 59 years among females and 0 to 59 months among males representing 45.28% of the total patients. An average of 308 patients was seen per session. Respiratory tract infections (44.8%), skin diseases (13.8%), abdominal diseases (13.2%), musculoskeletal disorder (7.86%), eye conditions (4.75%), genitourinary diseases (4.18%), ENT diseases (3.9%), hypertension (3.36%), dental problems (2.1%) and wounds and injuries (2.05%) respectively formed the 10 most prevalent diseases in Korogocho slums. Public health intervention of wearing of medical face mask to prevent allergens and airborne infections is highly recommended, prompt and timely treatment of respiratory diseases will help in reducing respiratory related complications. Cost effective and sustainable water treatment options should be availed to the locals to help in improving water quality so as to reduce infective abdominal-diseases.

Prevalence of mask associated dry eye disease symptoms among health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Puducherry, India

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to measure symptoms of mask-associated dry eye disease symptoms among health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study which included Health care workers willing to participate in the Questionnaire based study from March 2022 to May 2022. After initial consent participants completed the questionnaire on the duration of mask wear, type of mask, presence and the severity of Dry Eye Disease (DED) symptoms.A total of 930 completed data had been analyzed. Out of them 651(70%) had reported to have DED symptoms either sometimes or often. About two-third 65% (605) health care workers were in the age group of 18 to 29 years, 55% (465) had been using face mask between 4 to 8 hours per day. Less than a quarter 20% had reported to be having previous dry eye symptoms. Among them 68% (126) reported worsening symptoms. Almost half 45% wore spectacles, among them 72% reported fogging of their glasses while wearing mask. Age group 18 to 29 years were reported to have significant association with DED symptoms along with usage of N95 mask and male gender using Chi square test (P <0.001).Our study reported ocular discomfort in majority of Health care workers who are in the fore front in this Covid-19 pandemic for long hours, hence counseling of proper wearing of face mask and ocular treatment as and when needed to maintain their ocular surface health by consulting ophthalmologist is recommended.

Knowledge, practices and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures by community members in the Phalombe District Malawi: a cross-sectional qualitative study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has strained already struggling health systems in low- and middle-income countries such as Malawi. To slow the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization recommended non-pharmaceutical measures including frequent hand washing, wearing of face masks when in groups or social gatherings and maintaining physical distance. To ensure adequate uptake of these preventive measures, many communities intensified engagement, advocacy meetings and health promotion interventions. In this study, we investigated knowledge, practice and adherence towards COVID-19 preventive measures of people living in the rural community of Phalombe District of Malawi. Methods: In this cross-sectional, qualitative study, data were collected in focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Participants were selected from six randomly selected villages under traditional authorities, namely Nazombe, Jenala and Nkhumba from Phalombe District. Data were thematically analysed to identify emerging themes. Results: Most participants knew about and were aware of, but reported poor adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures. Two major themes emerged, namely, perceived low-risk of COVID-19 and non-adherence to preventive measures. Various sub-themes emerged regarding the use of preventive measures when participating in social gatherings. These sub-themes included knowledge of preventive measures, use of face masks, observing physical distance and hand washing practices. Conclusion: People living in the rural district of Phalombe District of Malawi were able to identify COVID-19 preventive methods. Participants reported low adherence to preventive methods, which was associated with low perceived risk. Community perceptions and willingness need to be considered when mandating preventive measures for future pandemics.

Do face masks affect the way we hear?

<b><br>Aim:</b> The aim of the study was to assess if wearing a face mask, hung from the ears, had an effect on the understanding of speech and the perception of surrounding sounds.</br> <b><br>Materials and Methods:</b> Assessment of auditory perception using verbal noise audiometry in two clinical conditions; without a face mask and with a face mask. To assess the auditory perception ability, two parameters were measured; word recognition score (WRS) and sound intensity at maximal WRS.</br> <b><br>Results:</b> Without wearing facial masks, the maximum values of WRS for the study group ranged from 75% to 100% with 52% of respondents achieved WRS 100%. While wearing face masks, the highest calculated WRS for the study group ranged from 80% to 100%, with 32% of individuals achieved WRS of 100%.</br> <b><br>Conclusion:</b> The wearing of face masks do not change the speech recognition scores. This may indicate a stronger role of psycho-sociological aspects of hearing difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic.</br&gt.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Use of Personal Protective Equipment by Personnel of Medical Organizations of Various Profiles in the Provision of Medical Care to Patients with COVID-19

Relevance. Violation of the regulations on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by medical workers when providing medical care to patients with COVID-19 (COVID-19) at their workplaces and in other situations requiring PPE is fraught with serious consequences for the health and life of medical personnel and patients. Aims. To assess the impact of violations in the use of PPE on the incidence of COVID-19 of personnel of medical organizations of various profiles, including when providing medical care to patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. The study used the method of cross-sectional retrospective simultaneous online questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19, conducted from January to March 2022. The results of an anonymous online survey of various categories of personnel of medical, scientific and educational medical organizations of the Russian Federation providing medical care to patients with COVID-19 (n = 6032 people) were analyzed. Results. The study showed the greatest epidemiological significance in the formation of the risk of SARS-COV-2 infection by the irregular use of masks and gloves in the workplace (when providing medical care). The results of the assessment of the strength of the connection of violations in the use of personal protective equipment with infection with SARS-CoV-2 of the studied groups of personnel are presented. It is shown that the irregular wearing of face masks in the workplace when providing medical care has the most pronounced association with the risk of infection of all the factors studied. It is noted that statistically significantly more often the irregular use of masks and gloves in the workplace was allowed by students and nursing staff. Conclusions. The importance of compliance with the regulations for the use of personal protective equipment by medical workers is shown, not only when providing medical care to patients with COVID-19, but also at home, as well as the impact on the incidence of COVID-19 of the irregularity of the use of PPE by medical personnel in various conditions, including when providing medical care to patients with COVID-19.

Seeing emotions in the eyes: a validated test to study individual differences in the perception of basic emotions

People are able to perceive emotions in the eyes of others and can therefore see emotions when individuals wear face masks. Research has been hampered by the lack of a good test to measure basic emotions in the eyes. In two studies respectively with 358 and 200 participants, we developed a test to see anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise in images of eyes. Each emotion is measured with 8 stimuli (4 male actors and 4 female actors), matched in terms of difficulty and item discrimination. Participants reliably differed in their performance on the Seeing Emotions in the Eyes test (SEE-48). The test correlated well not only with Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) but also with the Situational Test of Emotion Understanding (STEU), indicating that the SEE-48 not only measures low-level perceptual skills but also broader skills of emotion perception and emotional intelligence. The test is freely available for research and clinical purposes.

Determinants of Emotion Recognition System Adoption: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia

Emotion recognition systems (ERS) are an emerging technology with immense potential, exemplifying the innovative utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) within the context of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0). Given that personalization is a key feature of the fifth industrial revolution (IR 5.0), ERS has the potential to serve as an enabler for IR 5.0. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the relevance of this technology as work processes were adapted for social distancing and the use of face masks. Even in the post-pandemic era, many individuals continue to wear face masks. Therefore, ERS offers a technological solution to address communication challenges in a masked world. The existing body of knowledge on ERS primarily focuses on exploring modalities or modes for emotion recognition, system development, and the creation of applications utilizing emotion recognition functions. However, to enhance the development of impactful ERS, it is essential for researchers and innovators to understand the factors that influence its usage and adoption among the intended users. Therefore, this study presents a framework that combines technology adoption theories to identify the determinants of ERS adoption among Malaysian youth. Data for this study were collected through a survey involving 386 respondents. The findings revealed attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and awareness as significant determinants of ERS adoption. Additionally, the study found that technology aptitude plays a moderating role. These insights can inform the formulation of effective policies and programs to encourage and facilitate the development of innovative ERS solutions.

Investigating the use of E- Banking activities during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria

The coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic and required certain safety precautions. These included wearing of face masks, washing of hands, and keeping necessary social distances between people. It is observed that most individuals did not follow these safety measures. For instance, during the pandemic, people did not adhere to the safety precautions of wearing face masks and social distancing. Also noticed was the large crowd at every bank branch, hence the question, why did people engage in physical banking amidst the deadly pandemic. Therefore, this research seeks to study the customer perception of Electronic Banking (E–banking) activities during the covid-19 era. The study focuses on five bank branches within the Ilorin metropolis. Data was obtained using structured questionnaires which was administered to sampled respondents, and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of the analyses showed that bank customers are aware that Covid-19 can be contracted from going to the bank to queue among the crowd. However, they had no choice due to constraints to the use of E-banking services. This study provided recommendations toward solving the challenges discovered to adequately safeguard both the system operators and the general public while using E-banking systems and services.

British and Irish newspapers implicitly support single-use masks over reusable face coverings

IntroductionThe environmental impact of waste caused by single-use masks or face coverings is an under-considered effect associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination of the protective purpose of face masks and their potential environmental impacts through littering or waste management means the wearing of face masks is simultaneously associated with the health crisis and creation of a new environmental challenge, combining two strands of journalism.MethodsOur study demonstrates how the discourse in British and Irish newspapers in the March 2020-December 2021 time frame relates to this problem. By a combination of quantitative and qualitative discourse analysis, we identify concepts commonly associated with the terms “face-covering” and “mask,” particularly concerning whether they refer to a disposable or reusable item.ResultsResults suggest that the newspaper discourse generally favored references to single-use surgical masks. Newspapers reported on the environmental impact of face masks only in very limited ways.DiscussionWe propose that the increase in waste caused by face masks can be related to prevailing representations of single-use surgical masks and limited attention paid to environmental concerns.

Study of Face Mask-associated Dry Eye among Medical Students.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate face mask-associated factors causing dry eye among medical students. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on undergraduate medical and dental students, of all phases, while they were attending offline classes and were required to wear face masks in accordance with the government regulations. Sociodemographic data, ocular and medical history, face mask-wearing practices, screen usage, and quantification of symptoms using the modified Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire were collected. Objective tests were conducted in students having dry eye. The association of quantitative variables was done using ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis test, whereas the Chi-square test was done for qualitative variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for varying severity of dry eye. The mean age of the 410 students was 21 ± 1.6 years. According to the OSDI, 39.51% (162/410) of students had dry eyes, 23.41% (96/410) had mild dry eye, 8.78% (36/410) had moderate dry eye, and 7.32% (30/410) had severe dry eye. Face mask-associated factors which were significantly linked to dry eye were N95 masks, loose-fit masks, and 6-8 h of continuous mask use. The Schirmer's test and tear film break-up time were performed on 29 and 20 students, respectively, mean values being 19.25 ± 5.29 mm and 10.15 ± 1.41 s for nonsevere and 6.53 ± 1.55 mm and 5.3 ± 0.98 s for severe dry eye, respectively. It is important to educate medical students and create awareness regarding "face mask-appropriate behavior" to reduce the chances of dry eye secondary to face masks use.

Personality Factors and Health Beliefs Related to Attitudes Toward Wearing Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 virus is a worldwide pandemic health emergency. Although preventative measures have been put in place in an attempt to control its spread, their implementation has been met with resistance. Aims: To verify the nature of the health belief and personality factors associated with favorable attitudes toward face-mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Methods: A sample of N = 680 completed an online survey that included attitudes toward wearing face masks, measures of both malevolent (Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, and psychopathy) and benevolent (socially responsible) personality traits, along with a set of health beliefs surrounding COVID-19 (perceived severity and susceptibility, etc.) and the use of face masks (perceived benefits and barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy). Results: Lower perceived susceptibility, lower perceived benefits, and higher perceived barriers to face-mask use, being more motivated by cues to action, being female, and lower levels of grandiose narcissism were uniquely related to more favorable attitudes toward wearing face masks. The relation between socially responsible personality and mask-wearing attitudes was moderated by perceived severity. Namely, higher levels of socially responsible personality predicted more favorable attitudes but only when perceived severity was also high (with the reverse being evident for those who perceived the severity as being low). Limitations: The data relies on self-reports obtained cross-sectionally from a sample of university students. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the link between pro-mask attitudes and both benevolent/malevolent personality traits and the social-contextual factors related to the enactment of preventative health behaviors.

Patients’ perception of infection control in dentistry

Background: Dentistry is a high-risk profession for infections due to exposure to contaminated materials like blood, saliva, and instruments. Both dental staff and patients can contract diseases via person-to-person contact or contaminated objects. Objectives: To assess patient perception of infection control practices in dentistry which will help in planning effective public health care delivery. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 170 patients visiting Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH) over the period of three months (2022 June to 2022 August) for any form of dental treatment. Ethical approval was granted by Institutional Review Committee of KMCTH on 8th June 2021. Data obtained were entered and analysed using SPSS v.21. Results: Majority of the participants believed dentists should wear gloves (164, 96.7%), face masks (159, 93.8%), and eye goggles (105, 61.9%) while treating patients, and 152 (89.6%) of participants agreed that dentist should change gloves between patients. However, nearly half of the participants were not hesitant to receive treatment from the dentist not wearing gloves (82, 48.3%) and mask (86, 50.7%). In total, 119 (70.2%) agreed that it was possible to catch an infection during dental treatment and 121 (71.3%) did take interest in sterilisation of instruments but only 21 (12.3%) always asked their dentist about the method of sterilisation. Conclusion: Patients possess a strong awareness of the importance for infection control in dental practice, however, this study underscores the importance of implementing effective infection control measures in dental settings to ensure the safety and well-being of patients.