Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Dental Practitioners Regarding Eye Protection Midst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Introduction: Ocular surface is a greatly underappreciated route for COVID-19 transmission. Even a year after the COVID-19
outbreak, we remain ineffectual in controlling the widespread community infection. This study was aimed to assess the knowledge,
attitude, and practice of dental practitioners toward the importance of eye protection in the prevention of COVID-19 disease.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in Western Maharashtra amongst dental
health professionals. The structured, self-administered, and close-ended questionnaire were designed to collect the data which
consisted of two parts and comprised of 24 questions. The reliability and validity of the instrument were calculated (Cronbach’s
Alpha- 0.741). Informed consent was also taken from all the participants. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics.
Results: In this study, there were a total of 351 participants of age 25 and above. Among the study population, 72.36% of
individuals were aware that ocular surface is a probable and frequent route for severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus
2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. About 75.78% of the dental health professionals agreed that eye protection along with the use
of a 3-layered surgical mask or respirators is crucial for complete protection again SARS-CoV-2. About 61.54% of dental health
professionals believed that eye protection is still the most neglected of all preventive measures. About 58.12% of the dental
professionals felt that there is a need to develop new and better eye protection equipment.
Conclusion: The majority of the participants had good knowledge, a positive attitude, and sufficient practice regarding eye
protection. Moreover, there is also an urgent need to develop better eye protection strategies to overcome the shortcomings of
the existing ones.