Supervisors info:
Δρ. Άγης Τερζίδης, Md, PhD, Παιδίατρος,
Δρ. Ασημίνα Αντωναράκου
Καθηγήτρια ΕΚΠΑ,
Δρ. Χαρίκλεια Ντρίνια
Καθηγήτρια ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ. Ευθύμιος Λέκκας
Καθηγητής ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
In December 2019, a new coronavirus, later named SARS-CoV-2, caused a series of acute atypical respiratory diseases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The disease caused by this virus was named COVID-19. The virus is transmitted between humans and has caused a pandemic worldwide. The death toll continues to rise and a large number of countries have been forced to promote measures such as avoiding social contact and lockdown. Lack of targeted treatment, accessible to the general public, remains a problem. At the same time, the first Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was approved by the UK authorities on 2 December 2020. Epidemiological studies have shown that elderly patients are more susceptible to serious illness, while children tend to have milder symptoms.
At the same time, the Dental Federations issued detailed instructions from March 2020 in order to inform dentists about the disease, the mode of transmission, the measures to be taken, but also to propose the temporary suspension of dental procedures, except for emergency and urgent cases, as defined later.
The purpose of this dissertation is to present the pandemic worldwide, the effects on cases and deaths, the effects on the economy and mental health. At the same time, we will refer to the effects on the provision of dental care and the measures that should be taken by dentists and their staff, while a proposal will be presented for the creation of public dental care structures for suspected and / or confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The method used is the literature review on the Internet using keywords.
In conclusion, the pandemic has had a major impact on the lives of all of us. So far, the number of cases worldwide is estimated at almost 80 million and the death toll at almost 1.75 million. Governments gradually proceeded to extensive lockdowns, with direct consequences for the countries' economies. At the same time, the cessation of dental services due to the fear of the spread of the disease has led the Dental Federations around the world to issue constantly revised guidelines for the treatment of patients during the pandemic, with emphasis on the necessary personal equipment and personal protective measures of their staff, as well as in the extensive disinfection of the premises. At the same time, it is considered necessary as never before the creation of public dental structures that will operate in cases of outbreak of the disease or some other communicable disease, as dental care is essential and necessary to protect the general health of Greeks. Finally, the systematic immunization of the population against the virus seems to be the most important solution against the pandemic, while the Early Warning Systems show today their importance in detecting epidemics early and taking immediate measures to stop them.
Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, vaccine, dental care, personal protection measures, early warning systems
