Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 among Dental Practitioners in Bhutan

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Corona virus disease was first reported in Wuhan city of China in 2019. The disease is caused by a highly infectious virus which can be transmitted from human to human through physical contact, droplets, or touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. AIM: The study aims to get an assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 disease among the dental practitioners in Bhutan.MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online cross- sectional study was conducted among dental practitioners working in different hospitals across the country. All dental professionals who provided their email address were included in the study. Data were collecting using a structured questionnaire shared though email. A total of 157 dental professionals were invited through e-mail to participate in the study. RESULTS: A total of 125 dental professionals participated in the study (response rate 79.6%). Over half of the participants (51.2%) were between the age group 20-30 years. Despite almost everyone (98.4%) knowing the causative agent and management of COVID-19 positive patients, only around a half of the participants (48%) had a good level of knowledge on COVID-19.CONCLUSION: The study found that less than half of the participants have a good level of knowledge on COVID-19 while a majority of them feel that there is discrimination against COVID-19 positive patients and health professionals working for COVID-19 patients. The study highlights the need to conduct sensitization, trainings or CME on COVID-19 periodically to keep all health professionals updated with latest advancements to help maintain safety in clinical practice.