RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Middle East respiratory syndrome in children
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 339
OP 343
DO 10.15537/smj.2017.4.15777
VO 38
IS 4
A1 Al-Sehaibany, Fares S.
YR 2017
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/38/4/339.abstract
AB As of January 2016, 1,633 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and 587 MERS-related deaths have been reported by the World Health Organization globally. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may occur sporadically in communities or may be transmitted within families or hospitals. The number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases among healthcare workers has been increasing. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may also spread through aerosols generated during various dental treatments, resulting in transmission between patients and dentists. As MERS-CoV cases have also been reported among children, pediatric dentists are at risk of MERS-CoV infection. This review discusses MERS-CoV infection in children and healthcare workers, especially pediatric dentists, and considerations pertaining to pediatric dentistry. Although no cases of MERS-CoV transmission between a patient and a dentist have yet been reported, the risk of MERS-CoV transmission from an infected patient may be high due to the unique work environment of dentists (aerosol generation).