Hand Foot Mouth Disease During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Multicentric Study.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective observational study aimed to identify the current trend of the circulating viral strains responsible for HFMD outbreak in four tertiary care centers in Rajasthan, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic (April-October 2022). METHODS: Cases with suspected HFMD, presenting to our skin outpatient department were assessed clinically and serologically (IgM antibodies against coxsackie virus (CV) A6, A16 and enterovirus 71) for evidence of the disease. RESULTS: We identified 718 new HFMD patients (161 adults) with peaks in May and August, 2022. Male:female ratio decreased with increasing age. Most children were asymptomatic. A total of 385/409 patients assessed serologically, were found positive, most commonly against CV-A6. CONCLUSION: Though HFMD typically affects young children, an unusually higher proportion of adults were affected during the current pandemic. There were some subtle differences between pediatric and adult presentation of HFMD.

Hand Foot Mouth Disease During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Multicentric Study.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective observational study aimed to identify the current trend of the circulating viral strains responsible for HFMD outbreak in four tertiary care centers in Rajasthan, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic (April-October 2022). METHODS: Cases with suspected HFMD, presenting to our skin outpatient department were assessed clinically and serologically (IgM antibodies against coxsackie virus (CV) A6, A16 and enterovirus 71) for evidence of the disease. RESULTS: We identified 718 new HFMD patients (161 adults) with peaks in May and August, 2022. Male:female ratio decreased with increasing age. Most children were asymptomatic. A total of 385/409 patients assessed serologically, were found positive, most commonly against CV-A6. CONCLUSION: Though HFMD typically affects young children, an unusually higher proportion of adults were affected during the current pandemic. There were some subtle differences between pediatric and adult presentation of HFMD.

Oral manifestations of COVID-19 patients: An online survey of the Egyptian population.

OBJECTIVES: This pilot survey aims to study the oral manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection and report the prevalence of oral signs and symptoms in COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 15 to June 10, 2020, we used an online questionnaire containing the oral manifestations that are expected to be associated with the COVID-19 infection. Adults in our survey who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 positive were confirmed with reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and isolated in various hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. RESULTS: This pilot study included 58 (53.4% males and 46.6% females) COVID-19 patients ages 18-46 years, and 13 (22.4%) were healthcare workers. Our results showed that 67.2% of the patients had at least one manifestation related to the oral cavity and salivary glands, and 32.8% (n = 19) did not have any symptoms associated with the oral cavity. The highest prevalence symptoms were dry mouth 39.7% (n = 23), gustatory dysfunction as 34.5% (n = 20) loss of salt sensation, 29.3% (n = 17) loss of sweet sensation, and 25.9% (n = 15) altered food taste, while the least prevalent symptoms were tongue redness 8.8% (n = 5), and gingival bleeding 7% (n = 4). The most frequently associated symptoms were loss of salt and sweetness, as reported by 27.6% of the participants. However, there was no significant association between the incidence of oral symptoms and demographic data (age, gender, or job) of the patients (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on limited data, COVID-19 significantly impacts the oral cavity and salivary glands, as salivary gland-related symptoms and taste disorders are highly prevalent in COVID-19 patients.

Paediatric dental pain and infection during the COVID period.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus pandemic, paediatric patients will still likely present with dental pain and infection. In order to streamline care at King's College Hospital (KCH), Paediatric Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) have developed a collaborative working approach allowing patients to be treated effectively and to streamline patient care in the absence of easy access to general anaesthetic facilities. METHOD: Presenting complaints, treatment need and the treatment received were recorded for all paediatric patients presenting with dental pain and infection in the "lockdown" period (23rd March- 14th June) during "normal" working hours and "out of hours" to either paediatric dentistry or OMFS. RESULTS: 420 calls were triaged which converted to 67 patients seen face-to-face for oro-facial pain and infection. 41% of children were treated successfully under Local anaesthetic alone, only 13% required a general anaesthetic (GA) in the "lockdown" period. The vast majority of patients had antibiotics prescribed prior to attendance (80%). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated the demographic, presenting complaints and treatment need of patients who presented to KCH during the lockdown period with dental pain and infection. The majority were able to be treated without needing for GA facilities. This paper highlights how a collaborative approach between paediatric dentistry and OMFS can help streamline patient care and is a model which can be adopted by other units in the event of further "lockdowns".

How to deal with coronavirus disease 2019: A comprehensive narrative review about oral involvement of the disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this narrative review was to collect all findings from literature about oral signs and symptoms of COVID-19, in order to draw a picture of oral involvement of this challenging viral infection, to help oral professionals in a better triage and early diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The search for international literature was made including articles written in English and reporting about oral manifestations in patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19. The publication time was limited to 2019 and 2020, up to May 20, 2020. A narrative review was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-three articles were included in this review. Three different oral manifestations were found: taste alteration, oral blister and ulcers, and oral lesions associated with Kawasaki-like diseases (erythema, bleeding of lips, "strawberry tongue"). The higher expression of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in the oral cavity and in endothelial cells might be responsible for oral manifestation and the major report of signs and symptoms in the occidental countries. CONCLUSIONS: Detecting oral signs and symptoms of COVID-19 could be useful to perform a better preliminary triage in dental setting, and in recognizing possible early manifestations of the disease. However, considering the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequent difficulty of undergoing oral examinations, the oral manifestations might be misdiagnosed; then, we would encourage oral professionals to perform other studies about this topic.