Coronavirus: A potential threat for dental practitioners

Abstract

Coronaviruses are large, enveloped RNA viruses composed of few structural proteins and mainly infect birds and mammals including humans. The first case of coronavirus was described in China in December 2019. Novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infects the human respiratory, nervous, enteric, and hepatic systems. Individuals with a potential SARS-CoV-2 exposure present with the mild symptoms of low-grade fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, and headache and muscle pain. In the later stages, these symptoms worsen leading to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and multiple organ failure. These days this pandemic is emerging as a major threat for the health-care professionals including dental surgeons. The dental surgeons are at greater risk of novel coronavirus infections due to direct contact with infected patients and exposure to contaminated blood, saliva, and other body fluids. This article deals with viral structure, methods of detection, and modes of transmission, especially in dental settings.

Keywords

• dental
• pandemic
• sars-cov-2