art-1-1-2021
COMMUNITY DENTISTRY www.stomaeduj.com
SRI LANKAN DENTAL PROFESSIONALS’ KNOWLEDGE OF
Original Articles
THE CORONA VIRUS DISEASE-19 (COVID-19):
A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY
Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe1a* , Rasika Manori Jayasinghe2b , Pilana Vithanage Kalani Shihanika Hettiarrachchi1c ,
Lakshman Perera Samaranayake3d
1Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka
2
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka
3
Department of Oral Biosciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
a
BDS, MS, Professor, Chair; e-mail: ruwanja@dental.pdn.ac.lk; ORCIDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8054-4301
b
BDS, MS, Senior Lecturer, Head; e-mail: manorija@dental.pdn.ac.lk; ORCIDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5878-4985
c
BDS, MD, Senior Lecturer; e-mail: kalaniz2004@yahoo.com; ORCIDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2618-5050
d
DSc, DDS (Glas), FRCPath, FDSRCS(Edin), FRACDS, FDS RCPS (Glas), FHKCPath, FCDSHK, Professor Emeritus; e-mail: lakshman@hku.hk;
ORCIDiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9122-336X
ABSTRACT https://doi.org/10.25241/stomaeduj.2021.8(1).art. 1
Background Dental practitioners are some of the most vulnerable professionals exposed to the risk of
contracting the Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19), by virtue of the aerosol generating procedures (AGPs).
Hence, an evidence based and detailed knowledge of the disease is important in order to mitigate the
effects of the COVID-19 transmission.
Aim To identify the perspective, knowledge, and attitudes of Sri Lankan dental surgeons on the COVID-19
pandemic.
Methods An online web-based, self-administered questionnaire survey (Google) was conducted among Sri
Lankan dental surgeons. All questions, in the pre-tested questionnaire were close-ended, and formulated
to elicit data on the views, knowledge, attitudes, and infection control practices related to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Results One quarter of the cohort responded and the majority (44.7%) were 30-40 years old with a marginal
female preponderance (52.3%). In general, females were significantly more knowledgeable than males on
COVID-19, and the post-pandemic preparedness for dental practice (p<0.05). One sixth (18.2 %) incorrectly
surmised that, i) pet animals were a source of infection, ii) COVID-19 is not transmitted via surface contact
and iii) hand hygiene is not important in preventing infection transmission. All respondents correctly
identified AGPs as a high-risk procedure for infection transmission, but approximately two thirds failed to
identify specific AGPs in dentistry.
Conclusion Taken together, the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Sri Lankan dental surgeons on the
COVID-19 pandemic appear satisfactory, but there are knowledge gaps that need to be fulfilled through
further continuous education courses.
KEYWORDS
COVID 19; Dental Practice; Knowledge; Dental Surgeons.
1. INTRODUCTION weeks it became a serious health concern leading to
an epidemic spread in China, prior to the subsequent
The first case of Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic spread the world over. COVID-19 was
caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome declared a public health emergency of international
corona virus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) was reported in Wuhan, concern by the World Health Organization on 30th
China in December 2019 [1]. Even though scant of January 2020 [2]. As of this writing, in December
attention was paid to the disease at the time, within 2020, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide
OPEN ACCESS This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
Peer-Reviewed Article
Citation: Jayasinghe RD, Jayasinghe RM, Hettiarrachchi PVKS, Samaranayake LP. Sri Lankan dental professionals’ knowledge of the Corona
Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19): a questionnaire survey. Stoma Edu J. 2021;8(1):7-17
Received: December 19, 2020; Revised: January 10, 2021; Accepted: January 23, 2021; Published: January 28, 2021
*Corresponding author: Prof. Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe
Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka
Tel/Fax: 094 812397451; e-mail: ruwanja@dental.pdn.ac.lk
Copyright: © 2021 the Editorial Council for the Stomatology Edu Journal
Stoma Edu J. 2021;8(1): 07-17 pISSN 2360-2406; eISSN 2502-0285 7
Jayasinghe RD, et al.
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Original Articles
Figure 1. Distribution of respondents according to the highest educa- Figure 2. Distribution of respondents according to the age group.
tional qualifications.
precautions planned for the post-pandemic dental practice
COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 75 million, 300
with over 1.6 million deaths [3]. In Sri Lanka, the
250
first case of COVID-19, was reported in a Chinese
tourist, in January 2020, and the first, communally 200
transmitted patient reported two months later; at 150
the time of writing (December 2020), Sri Lanka has
100
over 36,000 confirmed cases, with 165 reported
deaths. SARS‑CoV‑2 primarily spreads via droplets 50
produced by coughing, sneezing, and talking. When 0
Temp. check Temp. check information Tracing data Disposible pt Disposible Reusable
droplets are large and heavy, they usually fall to the for all pts for all staff from all pts
yes no
covers clinician
covers
gowns per
session
ground or onto surfaces, but the smaller particles,
Figure
Fig 3. Details
3- Details of precautions
of precautions plannedplanned by the respondents
by the respondents for the post-dental practice
for the post-pandemic
called aerosols, are entrained in the air for prolonged pandemic dental practice.
periods of approximately 3 hours if the ambient
circulation is stagnant [4,5]. A substantial proportion 2. METHODS
of dental procedures entail aerosol generation due
to the high speed instrumentation accompanied by An online web-based questionnaire survey was
air/water coolants, and hence dentistry is considered conducted among dental specialists and dental
a high risk profession in terms of contracting air surgeons in Sri Lanka. Those with access to the World
borne diseases such as COVID-19 [6]. Furthermore, Wide Web, both in the government service and in
experience from previous epidemics such as the private practice, were included in the study. A self-
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has shown administered pre-tested Google form (Appendix 1)
the susceptibility of health care providers, including was used as the study instrument.
dental health care workers to the risk of possible The questionnaire, formulated by the authors
infection [7]. In order to protect dental professionals, (LPS, RJ), was first pre-tested among a group of 10
and their patients from COVID-19, many national dental surgeons to ensure clarity of interpretation,
bodies, including the Sri Lanka Dental Association, and ease of completion by the participants. The
have issued guidelines on infection control in questionnaire, of all close-ended questions, compri-
dental settings to the profession at large [6,7]. sed demographic data and specific questions
Nevertheless, there has been little follow up after on the views, knowledge and attitudes of Sri
such promulgations and, no feedback elicited from Lankan dental surgeons on the current COVID-19
dentists on the adherence to, and implementation pandemic. The pre-tested questionnaire was then
of these guidelines in clinical practice. Clearly, such converted into a Google form and the survey link
feedback is helpful in rectifying deficiencies, and was disseminated as a Uniform Resource Locator
preparing for future emergencies. Hence the main (URL) web address among the cohort, via social
aim of the current questionnaire survey was to media and email. A cover letter was included with
identify the views, knowledge and attitudes of Sri the questionnaire, which described the purpose of
Lankan dental surgeons on the current COVID-19 the study and its outline, and instructions were given
pandemic through a web-based questionnaire on completing the questionnaire; the confidentiality
survey. A particular focus of the survey was to and anonymity of the data provided were assured.
evaluate the adherence to the COVID- 19 protective The data management and statistical analyses were
measures and awareness of methods of SARS‑CoV‑2 performed using the statistical software SPSS version
transmission, infection control precautions that need 21.0. Frequencies and percentages were obtained
to be implemented during the pandemic, and the for categorical data, and Chi-square test was used
challenges associated with their implementation. to determine the association between variables.
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Original Articles
Table 1. Comparison of P values highlighting statistical significance between respondents’ gender, age groups and highest educational
qualifications with knowledge of COVID- 19 and its impact on dental practice.
Sex Age Education
Question
(P) group (p) (p)
Incubation period of COVID 19 infection? 0.000 0.412 0.249
Attendance to webinars or continuing education programs on maintaining dental practices
0.000 0.361 0.305
during COVID-19 pandemic
Believe patients with chronic diseases run a higher risk of contracting COVID 19? 0.000 0.643 0.409
Believe older patients are at a higher risk for COVID 19 infections? 0.000 0.566 0.401
Believe mortality rate for the young population is zero? 0.000 0.074 0.315
Covid-19 transmission 0.000 0.476 0.000
Prevented by good hygiene practices? 0.000 0.655 0.369
Minimum social distance advised to prevent COVID-19 spread? 0.000 0.691 0.780
Loss of taste and loss of smell as early symptoms of COVID-19 0.000 0.243 0.420
P level <0.05 was considered significant). Ethical incorrectly believed that the mortality rate for young
clearance for the study was obtained from the Ethics population is zero (Table 1).
Review Committee of the Faculty of Dental Sciences,
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 3.3. Knowledge regarding transmission of COVID-19
All respondents were aware that the aerosol
3. RESULTS generating procedures (AGPs) were a high risk
activity for the infection transmission, but only
3.1. Demographic and personal information one third (39%), accurately identified that implants
The survey was transmitted to a cohort of 1598 placement, scaling and restorative procedures
dental surgeons, of which 302 (25%) responded. as high risk interventions that may transmit the
Most respondents were aged 30-40 years (44.7%), infection (Table 1).
with a marginally female preponderance (52.3%). Surprisingly, a sixth of the respondents (55/302; 18.2
Two thirds of the respondents were dental surgeons %) incorrectly surmised that, i) pet animals were a
(n=120) working in the dental clinics of the Ministry source of infection, ii) COVID-19 is not transmitted via
of Health, Sri Lanka, with the rest, though employed surface contact and iii) hand hygiene is not important
by the Ministry of Health, were concurrently enga- in preventing infection transmission. Nevertheless,
ged in private practice. Most of the respondents 82% were aware that the infection spreads through
had only the primary qualification of BDS (n=177) droplets or nasal discharge (p<0.05). Further, 93% of
while 45 (15%) also had a postgraduate diploma; the respondents believed that COVID-19 infection
60 were specialists with anMD/ MS degree (Fig. 1). can be transmitted through the fluid of an infected
Questioned on the attendance and participation person (p<0.05). Nearly 85% have correctly identified
in continuing education programs during the 1 meter as the minimum social distance to be kept in
COVID-19 pandemic, a majority (60%) responded order to minimize transmission of infection.
in the affirmative. Of these, 74% were respondents
younger than 30 (p<0.05). 3.4. Preparedness in treating dental patients during
and post pandemic period
3.2. Knowledge and belief related to COVID-19 patient Most of the participants (92.4%) had purchased
identification personal protective equipment, but two-fifths
The vast majority of the respondents (91%) was aware (40.4%) did not possess N95 masks. Almost two
of the incubation period for SARS-CoV-2 infection as thirds of the respondents (62.3%) had treated emer-
2-3days, but that it may take up to 21 days. Almost gency patients during the peak month from 15th
all of the respondents (96%) under 30 provided an March to 15th April 2020 when Sri Lanka was under
accurate response to this question. All participants the lockdown. One half of the respondents (52.2%)
identified at least one symptom of the infection, were confident of starting dental practice once the
while 18% identified all the stated symptoms of pandemic subsided, whereas 25.2% were hesitant,
the disease. Similarly, 96% of the respondents and 6% were not confident in doing so. Although
believed that patients with chronic diseases run a over 92% have been provided with personal
higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Awareness that protective equipment (PPE), only 57% had access to
older populace run a higher risk of contracting the N 95 masks during the initial period of the COVID-19
COVID-19 than the younger individuals was also pandemic. All respondents were planning to
very high (97%) and only 4% (12/ 302) respondents implement precautions during the post-pandemic
Stoma Edu J. 2021;8(1): 07-17 pISSN 2360-2406; eISSN 2502-0285 9
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Original Articles Table 2. Percentage of responses regarding knowledge and plan of the respondents to start dental practice during and post COVID- 19 pandemic.
Questions in the questionnaire %
Can disease be prevented by good hygiene practices?
Yes 95
No 3
What is minimum social distance advised to prevent COVID-19 spread?
1m 84.4
1.5m 4.3
2m 8.6
2.5m 1.3
Are you aware that loss of taste and loss of smell are early symptoms of COVID-19
Yes 86.8
no 12.6
How important is it to know the patient’s residential area when taking the history?
Highly important 91.4
Not important 6.6
May be important 0.7
Will you consider patient’s travel history before treating him?
97.7
Yes
1
No
1.3
May be
How confident are you about starting your dental practice after the pandemic? 12.6
Highly confident 52.3
Confident 25.2
Hesitant 6.0
Not confident
What is your biggest fear on starting your post-pandemic dental practice? (Select ALL that apply)
Increased cost of care delivery
5.41
Risk of contracting disease from patients
36.2
Limited resources including PPE
58.6
Will you ask your patient to get tested for Covid-19 before treatment?
10.9
Yes, all the patients for aerosol generating procedures 18.2
No 70.9
May be, only if patient is symptomatic
How worried are you about Medico Legal issues once you open up your dental practice? (1 not worried, 5
extremely worried) Rate from 1 to 5
11.3
1
11.3
2
38.4
3
17.9
4
19.9
5
practice. The majority were to introduce temperature 4. DISCUSSION
checks for all patients (88.4%), and the staff (75%),
but planned use of reusable gowns per each session The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic caused by
and of disposable over wear for both patients and SARS-CoV-2 has taken the world by surprise. It is now
clinicians were low (Fig. 3). Ninety one percent of the clear that aerosols are the main mode of COVID-19
respondents felt it is highly important to know the transmission, and dentistry, being an important
residential area of the patients, while 97.7% thought branch of health care has come under intense
knowing the patient’s travel history is important scrutiny due to the many AGPs that entail clinical
before treating them. The highest fear among the dental practice. Hence, infection control procedures
respondents to start dental practice was the limited in dentistry have been freshly reviewed with revised
availability of resources for protection such as PPE guidelines promulgated by various bodies including
(Table 2). The answers covering the respondents’ US Centers for Disease Control [8]. A good awareness
knowledge on the pandemic and the plans in and knowledge of the mode of transmission of
relation to the maintenance of post-pandemic dental COVID-19 among dental professionals is essential
practice were analyzed according to their gender, to implement these guidelines. Although a number
and females almost always responded better than of reports are available on the dentists’ awareness
males (p<0.05). In terms of the age group, the plans of the pandemic and attitudes towards the implem-
for triage of the clinic attendees, was highest for the entation of clinical guidelines [9,10] no such data
36- 45 years age group (p<0.05) (Table 3). are available from Sri Lanka. Hence, we conducted
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Table 3. Comparison of P values highlighting statistical significance between respondents’ gender, age groups and highest educational
qualifications with their plan for patient handling at the dental practice during COVID-19 pandemic and post pandemic period.
Sex Age Education
p group (p) (p)
Do you triage your patients? 0.000 0.013 0.071
Will you consider patient’s travel history before treating him? 0.000 0.206 0.846
How important is it to know the patient’s residential area when taking the history? 0.000 0.257 0.009
Have you purchased / provided with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits? 0.000 0.795 0.668
Do you have access to purchase / provided with N95 masks? 0.000 0.154 0.415
Have you treated emergency patients during the month from 15th March to 15th April? 0.000 0.974 0.821
Have you treated emergency patients during the month from 16th April to 15th May? 0.000 0.910 0.192
Have you treated emergency patients after 16th of May? 0.000 0.368 0.297
How confident are you about starting your dental practice after the pandemic? 0.000 0.151 0.327
Will you ask your patient to get tested for Covid-19 before treatment? 0.000 0.202 0.202
US centers for disease control (CDC), and many dental associations including SLDA have
0.000 0.946 0.750
proposed guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in dental clinics.
Precautions planning at the post-pandemic practice
0.054 0.179 0.324
1.Temperature checking of all patients
2.Temperature checking of all staff before they start work 0.066 0.552 0.430
3. Information form on COVID-19 to all patients 0.002 0.894 0.894
4. Tracing data 0.013 0.805 0.519
5. Disposable Patient covers 0.000 0.687 0.513
6. Disposable clinician covers changed for each patient 0.000 0.497 0.577
7. Reusable gown worn for session/ day 0.052 0.194 0.730
8. Will you edit the patient history questionnaire 0.000 0.599 0.816
9. Will you question the patient on recent loss of taste or smell? 0.005 0.073 0.05
the current electronic, online survey to elicit the that has shown low attendance rates at continuing
knowledge and practices of 1598 dental surgeons education courses by dentists [12].
and dental specialists working in the public Prevention of COVID-19 is mainly achieved by proper
and private sector in Sri Lanka [11]. A pre-tested hand washing, social distancing and by respiratory
questionnaire was sent via email to the cohort and protective measures such as the use of face masks/
open invitations for response were posted in the face shields [13]. In contrast to the findings of
social media platforms, including Facebook and other similar surveys [10,12], almost a fifth of our
specific groups created among dental surgeons. Our respondents incorrectly mentioned that hand
study demonstrated a relatively poor response rate hygiene is not important in preventing infection
with only a quarter (25%) of the dental surgeons and pet animals are a major source of infection.
and specialists responding to the questionnaire. Low Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential
response rates are common in electronic questio- prerequisite for the safe delivery of dental care,
nnaire surveys and non-respondent bias may have as well as for the protection of the dental surgeon
affected the outcome of our results. Given this and the dental team. A number of organizations
caveat, the findings of our survey shed light on the including the US Centers for Disease Control [8] and
knowledge of, and attitudes to infection control in the Sri Lanka Dental Association [6] have empha-
Sri Lankan dental surgeons during the pandemic sized the importance of PPE in dentistry. PPE include
period. Overall, a large majority of respondents had gloves, respirators or face masks, face shields or
envisioned and anticipated the impact of COVID-19 goggles and protective clothing [14]. Most of the
on their clinical practices, as they demonstrated a respondents (92.4%) in our survey had purchased
very satisfactory knowledge of the disease sympto- PPE, but only 60% had N95 masks. This is better than
matology and preventive measures. It was enco- the figures reported in similar studies on Indian and
uraging to note that most of them attended Turkish dentists, respectively [12,15]. As fever is one
webinars to improve their knowledge of COVID-19, of the demonstrable early symptoms of COVID-19,
in contrasts to a recent similar study from Turkey dental health care providers must as a routine,
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measure the patients’ body temperature as well as for countries such as Sri Lanka, should help improve
Original Articles those of his staff and him/herself, prior to entering the prospects of dentists returning to work without
the clinic premises [14]. The majority were aware much ambivalence.
of this recommendation as 80% were planning to
measure the temperature of the patients, and 65% 5. CONCLUSIONS
in both the patients as well as the staff.
As a health care worker, it is the solemn duty of a In general, the knowledge, attitudes and practices
dental surgeon to provide essential and emergency of Sri Lankan dental surgeons on the COVID-19
care to patients, irrespective of the pandemic pandemic appear satisfactory but there are
circumstances. Hence it was heartening to note significant gaps in their knowledge that need to be
that some two thirds of the respondents (62.3%) addressed such as the knowledge on the method of
managed patients with dental emergencies during transmission. Highest fear among the respondents
the island-wide, lock-down period in Sri Lanka (from was limited availability of resources to practice
15th March to 15th April 2020). This is in contrast to dentistry. Health authorities and professional associa-
only one fifth of the dentists (22.8%) in India who tions need to consider these factors when preparing
rendered such emergency services during a similar guidelines for the management of patients in the
lock-down period in India [15]. dental clinics during the pandemic. Gender as well as
It is the general consensus that COVID-19 pandemic educational qualifications-related differences were
is unlikely to subside in the immediate term, and is noted in some responses. Our survey highlights the
likely to smolder, and remain as an endemic disease importance of continuing education and further
in most regions of the world for the foreseeable educational programs on COVID-19 for dental profe-
future. Yet, dental professionals, like all other similar ssionals in Sri Lanka.
care providers, need to maintain their services to
the public while taking the necessary precautions CONFLICT OF INTEREST
to minimize infection spread. Due to the high The authors declare no conflict of interest.
levels of morbidity and mortality associated with
COVID-19, there is nevertheless a reluctance, fear ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
and anxiety amongst dentists to return to work, as
shown in some recent studies [9,15]. This was clearly We like to thank all the dental surgeons who helped disseminate
expressed in our survey, as one fourth of responding and respond to the questionnaire during a difficult period.
dental surgeons were hesitant to start their post-
pandemic dental practice in the short term, and AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
6% were not confident in doing so at all. However,
it was heartening to note that approximately, RDJ: plan the study, plan the questionnaire and assisted in data
one half of the respondents (52.4%) were very collection and did the first draft. RMJ: was involved with the
confident in returning to work after the lock-down data collection, preparation of questionnaire, statistical analysis
period. This number is significantly higher than the and finalizing the manuscript. PKH: was involved with the data
figure reported by Kinariwala et al., where 54.3% collection, preparation of questionnaire and finalizing the
of respondents in their study were not confident, manuscript. LPS: came up with the idea, assisted in preparation
and 35.7% were hesitant to commence their post- of questionnaire, supervise the project and assisted in finalizing
pandemic dental practices [15]. In addition, the the manuscript.
availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the near future,
12 Stoma Edu J. 2021;8(1):07-17 pISSN 2360-2406; eISSN 2502-0285
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Annex 1
Original Articles
Knowledge and Practices among Sri Lanka Dental Surgeons on Professional Dental Practice during
the Corona virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
Serial No. ………………………….
Demographic and personal information
1. Gender- Male Female
2. Nationality Sri Lankan Any other (Pl specify)
3. Your specialty
General practitioner
Consultant in Restorative Dentistry
Consultant in Orthodontics
Consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Consultant in Community Dentistry
Trainee in Restorative Dentistry Trainee in Orthodontics
Trainee in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Trainee in Community Dentistry
Any other (PL specify) ………………………………………..
4. Your education B.D.S Diploma MS/MD any other (pl specify)
……………………………………………………………..
5. Age (in years) < 30 30-40 40-50 50-60 >60
6. What best describes the type of practice you are in? (Select ALL that apply)
Ministry of Health (MOH) Academic Private Practice
7. Did you attend webinars or continuing education programs on maintain/ conducting dental
practices during COVID-19 pandemic? Yes No
Knowledge and belief related to COVID-19 patient identification
8. What is incubation period of COVID 19 infection?
1 day
2-3 days but may take up to 21 days
28 days
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Original Articles
1. Which are the symptoms of COVID 19 infection? (Select ALL that apply)
Fever Dry cough
Tiredness Nasal congestion
Diarrhea Aches and pains
None of the above All of the above
2. Do you believe that patients with chronic diseases run a higher risk of contracting COVID 19?
Yes No
3. Do you believe that older patients are at a higher risk for COVID 19 infections?
Yes No
4. Do you believe mortality rate for the young population is zero? Yes No
Knowledge regarding transmission of COVID-19
5. Which dental procedures do you consider as high risk to transmit COVID 19
History taking and Examination
Dental Extraction
Scaling
Restorative procedures
Providing dentures
Implant placement
6. Which of the following statement is TRUE? (Select ALL that apply)
Pet animals are the biggest source of infection.
Covid-19 spreads through droplets of saliva or nasal discharge.
Covid-19 is not transmitted via surface contact.
Hand hygiene is not important to prevent transmission of Covid-19.
7. Do you believe Covid-19 infection can spread through fluid of infected person?
Yes No
8. Can the disease be prevented by good hygiene practices? Yes No
9. What is the minimum social distance advised to prevent COVID-19 spread?
1 meter 1.5m 2m 2.5m
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10. Are you aware that loss of taste and loss of smell are early symptoms of COVID-19:
Original Articles
Yes No
History taking practice
How important is it to know the patient’s residential area when taking the history?
Highly important Not important may be important
11. Will you consider the patient’s travel history before treating him?
Yes No May be
12. Do you triage your patients?” Yes No
Fears associated with the best management practices
13. Have you purchased / provided with Personal Protection Equipment kits?
Yes No
14. Do you have access to purchase / provided with N95 masks? Yes No
15. Have you treated emergency patients during the month from 15th March to 15th April?
Yes No
16. Have you treated emergency patients during the month from 16th April to 15th May?
Yes No
17. Have you treated emergency patients after 16th of May? Yes No
18. How confident are you about starting your dental practice after the pandemic?
Highly confident Confident Hesitant Not confident at all
19. What is your highest fear on starting your post-pandemic dental practice? (Select ALL that ap-
ply)
Limited availability of personal protection kits
Limited resources to sterilize/disinfect the equipment and the clinic premises
Risk of contacting infection from the patient
Increased operating cost and unaffordable cost of care delivery
20. Will you ask your patient to get tested for Covid-19 before treatment?
Yes, all the patients for aerosol generating procedures should get themselves tested.
No
May be, only if patient is symptomatic
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1. How worried are you about Medico-Legal issues once you open up your dental practice?
Original Articles (1 not worried, 5 extremely worried)
Rate from 1 to 5
2. US centers for disease control (CDC), and many dental associations including SLDA have pro-
posed guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in dental clinics.
a. Are you aware of these guidelines Yes No
b. Do you follow all the guidelines so proposed?
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
3. What precautions are you planning at the post-pandemic practice
1. Temperature checking of all patients: Yes No
2. Temperature checking of all staff before they start work: Yes No
3. Information form on COVID-19 to all patients: Yes No
4. Tracing data: Yes No
5. Disposable Patient covers: Yes No
6. Disposable clinician covers changed for each patient: Yes No
7. Reusable gown worn for session/ day: Yes No
28. Will you edit the patient history questionnaire? Yes No
29. If yes to question 28 above:
a) Will you insert an immediate travel history question (2 weeks before dental
attendance): Yes No
b) Will you question the patient on recent loss of taste or smell? Yes No
******************Thank You. End of questionnaire**********************
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Ruwan Duminda JAYASINGHE
BDS, MS, Professor
Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology
Faculty of Dental Sciences
University of Peradeniya
Peradeniya, 20400 Sri Lanka
CV
Ruwan Jayasinghe is currently working as the Chair Professor of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Sciences,
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He is a specialist in Oral Surgery/Medicine. He is the director to the Centre for Research in Oral
Cancer. He has published more than 85 research papers in peer reviewed international and national journals. He is having more
than 150 research presentations to his credit. For his research contributions, he has received multiple awards. He has authored
or contributed to 09 books. He has delivered 05 orations, more than 50 guest lectures, both locally and internationally, acted as
a resource person in workshops more than 150 times.
Questions
1.What is incubation period of COVID-19 infection?
qa. 1-day;
qb. 2-3 days but may take up to 21 days;
qc. 28 days;
qd. 48 days.
2. Which of the following is not a symptom of COVID-19 infection?
qa. Fever;
qb. Dry cough;
qc. Aches and pains;
qd. Sneezing.
3. What will be the best method to control COVID-19 infection?
qa. Social distancing;
qb. Hand hygiene;
qc. Wearing face masks;
qd. All of above.
4. Which of the following groups are at a higher risk of getting COVID-19?
qa. Infants;
qb.Yong;
qc. Middle aged;
qd. Elderly.
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