Perception of Dental Patients toward Covid-19 Infection

Abstract

Objective:  To assess the knowledge, characteristics and prevention of Covid-19, perception of the effect of the virus on livelihood as well its virulence in causing disease. The perception of dental patients of the corona virus (COVID -19) infection in relation to knowledge of its virulence, prevention and its effect on their mental health and livelihood.

Methods: This study was conducted among patients attending the outpatient Dental Clinic of Central Hospital Benin City between July and August, 2020. Data collection tool was a self-administered questionnaire.  Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 21.0.

Results: Approximately 38.1% of respondents were male, 52.2% were married and majority were between the ages of 20-40 years old. In the study, Occupation was classified based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations where skill level 1 includes office cleaners, freight handlers, garden labourers, farmers and kitchen assistants; skill level 2 include butchers, bus drivers, accounts clerks, tailors, shop sales assistants, police officers, hair dressers, building electricians, and mechanics while skill level 3, includes shop managers, medical laboratory technicians, technicians and skill level 4, includes sales and marketing managers, engineers, teachers, medical practitioners, musicians, theatre nurses and computer systems analysts. However, this study revealed that respondents with Skill level 2&3 showed an overall good knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most commonly perceived symptoms of the corona virus in this study were fever and cough (>71%.) Majority of the respondents came for self  care and affirmed that the pandemic has psychologically affected them negatively .

Conclusion: Despite adequate knowledge about COVID 19 as a result of wide spread global public enlightenment, the cultural beliefs of people seem to play a great role in their health seeking behavior. This leads to varied notions, actions and inactions which could include stigmatization of confirmed cases in the face of an infectious disease outbreak.