Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Dentists Public and Private Structures and Factors Influencing the Likelihood of Developing Coronavirus Disease

Abstract

Context. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses with single-stranded “plus” RNA, with genome sizes from 25 to 32 thousand nucleotides. Under normal conditions, coronaviruses have a strict species affiliation. Coronaviruses as well as influenza viruses are known to be capable of mutation: a combination of certain factors make animal coronaviruses acquire the ability to infect humans, causing disease, and then become able to be transmitted from person to person. In early January 2020, a new coronavirus was identified. On February 11, 2020, the WHO gave it an official name – COVID-19. The International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses has named the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The criteria for the WHO declaration of the International Health Emergency of 30 January 2020 (International Health Emergency) were the rapidity and suddenness of the disease, which “threatens the consequences for the health of the population outside the national borders of the affected state and may require prompt action at the international level”. Because SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs during close contact, dentists are at increased risk, and therefore there is a need to inform them about the factors that affect the occurrence and severity of this disease. Objective. To find out the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among dentists engaged in public and private structures and the factors influencing the probability of developing coronavirus disease. Materials and methods. A survey of 50 dentists from private and public institutions in different regions of Ukraine was conducted. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was performed to identify the correlation between these factors and the incidence of SARS-CoV-2. Results. The investigation showed that 54.00 % of dentists surveyed did not have SARS-CoV-2, 24.00 % did not know whether they had it, and 22.00 % of dentists had contracted coronavirus disease, which is almost ten times more common (2.30 % of the population of Ukraine was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of the study) than among the general population of Ukraine. Among those who relapsed, 72.72 % of respondents had a mild, 18.18 % moderate and 9.09 % severe course of the disease. Among the chronic diseases of dentists in the case histories, autoimmune (27.00 %), cardiovascular (27.00 %) lesions and chronic lung diseases (9.00 %) predominate. There is a positive correlation between the severity of coronavirus disease and the presence of chronic diseases. There is a negative correlation between the level of use of personal protective equipment and the presence of the disease. There is a positive correlation between the severity of the disease and the presence of chronic diseases. There is a negative correlation between the level of use of personal protective equipment and the presence of the disease. Conclusions. The study found that dentists belong to the risk group for SARS-CoV-2 (22.00 % of patients in the population of dentists against 2.30 % in the population of Ukraine). This fact confirms the importance of preventing the spread of nosocomial infection. Therefore, well-known preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection should be strengthened. It has been confirmed that the presence of chronic diseases complicates the course of SARS-CoV-2. The effectiveness of the use of personal protective equipment should be highlighted.