Abstract
This work evaluates the prevalence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), among members of the Czech Dental Chamber. The assessment was based on an online questionnaire filled out by 2716 participants, representing 24.3% of all chamber members.
Overall, 25.4% of participants admitted they were diagnosed with COVID-19 by 30 June 2021, with no statistical differences between the sexes. While in the age groups under 50 the reported prevalence was around 30%, with increasing age, it gradually decreased to 15.2% in the group over 70 years.
The work environment was identified as a place of contagion by 38.4% of respondents. A total COVID-19 PCR-verified positivity was 13.9%, revealing a statistically lover prevalence (p = 0.0180) compared to the Czech general population in which the COVID-19 PCR-verified positivity was ~15.6% (4th highest rank in the world).
The total infection-hospitalization ratio (IHR) was 2.8%, the median age group of hospitalized individuals was 60-70 years. For respondents older 60 years, the IHR was 8.7%, and for those under 40 years, it was 0%. 37.7% of respondents admitted that another team member was diagnosed with COVID-19, of which the most frequently mentioned profession was a nurse/dental assistant (81.2%).
The results indicate that although the dentist profession is associated with a high occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, well-chosen anti-epidemic measures adopted by dental professionals may outweigh it.