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Knowledge, attitude, perception of practicing dentists toward coronavirus disease 2019 in Andhra Pradesh – A cross-sectional study

The epidemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), originated in Wuhan, China, has become a major public health challenge not only for China but also countries around the world. The repercussions of the current rapid spread of COVID-19, which has affected millions of people worldwide, ranging from being isolated and quarantined to fatality have resulted in considerable psychological stress and fear. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception of practicing dentists toward COVID-19 in Visakhapatnam. Materials and Methods: A self-administered, pretested, and validated questionnaire was designed and mailed to the dental professionals assessing information regarding sociodemographic details, knowledge, attitude, and perception toward COVID-19 among dental practitioners in Visakhapatnam. Convenience sampling was used and a total of 264 participants were included in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The correct incubation period of the virus was recognized by 43% of participants. Participants in age groups 50–60, 40–50, were more likely to perceive COVID-19 as a very dangerous disease compared to 30–40 and 23–30 years of age groups. Study participants with 15–20 and 20–25 years of practice were more likely to treat those patients and ask them to go to the hospital (74%, 67%, respectively). On the other hand, dentists with 1–5, 5–10, years of practice were more likely to refuse to treat and ask him/her to leave clinic (75%, 63%, of participants, respectively). The study participants showed satisfactory knowledge and a positive attitude toward COVID-19. Conclusion: Although we had faced the prospect of a second wave of virus transmission, we must take certain measures and make changes to minimize the effects of next coming waves of the COVID-19 outbreak on dental practice. This is the time for change and there should be support and enthusiasm for providing valid solutions to reduce this disruption which can be achieved through increasing their accessibility to materials provided by dental health-care authorities, which specifies the best and safest approaches for dealing with patients during and after the outbreak.