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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm, with cases continuously increasing by the hour and with a shortage of information regarding the virus available to the general public. Despite the availability of trusted online sources, there are still misconceptions relating to the virus floating around. This study aimed to find out the level of misconceptions among healthcare professionals (HCPs) worldwide about the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted through a global online survey. The self-administered questionnaire was designed and registered at an online website (Kwiksurveys). A total of 652 participants from 35 different countries across the world responded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23. Socio-demographic and discipline characteristics were compared with the help of the chi-square test and univariate and multivariate logistic regression to find significant relationships. Results: Among all HCPs, general physicians (61.2%) were the most common respondents. The responses from females (63.3%) almost doubled those of men, and nearly half of the participants were working in private institutes (49.2%). Additionally, the major source of information used by HCPs about COVID-19 was social media (55.4%). Regarding misconception assessment, 71.6% of participants had correct concepts regarding COVID-19. However, 28.4% had incorrect information. Female HCPs were 1.49 times more likely to have correct concepts compared to males (OR=1.49, 95% CI=1.04-2.14). Conclusions: The majority of the HCPs were keeping themselves up-to-date with current information concerning the knowledge, prevention, and hygiene practices of COVID-19 infection. However, some misconceptions are deeply rooted in the mindsets of HCPs worldwide and need to be addressed by the continuous professional development of HCPs. The availability of reliable sources of information on the pandemic should be encouraged, with adequate explanations also available to the general public in simple terms.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and its associated demographic and clinical factors in young adolescents (13–15 years) of Karachi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods An epidemiological survey included 500 young adolescents of registered schools, madrassas (Islamic education system), and shop workers of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. It was a cross-sectional analytical study design. Multistage random sampling technique was used to enroll participants. The pattern of occlusion was recorded with other related features using Angle's classification. Health status was recorded through World Health Organization-guided indices (decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth [DMFT], community periodontal index of treatment needs [CPITN], and body mass index [BMI]). The information, thus, obtained was analyzed through SPSS using the chi-squared test and regression models. Results Forty four percent of the participants were female, while overall estimated prevalence of malocclusion in young adolescents of Karachi was 57.4%. After adjustments, participants going to any kind of education system had less malocclusion in comparison to those who were not going to any education system (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.305, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12–0.73); mother's education especially higher level (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.08–3.75) and presence of periodontal disease (aOR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.06–2.33) were significantly associated with malocclusion. Conclusion This study showed that the class I malocclusion is prevalent in the local community. Demographic factors like gender, age, self-reported ethnicity, and BMI did not show any significant role. Education or knowledge of parents and young adolescents does play an influential role in decreasing malocclusion. Young adolescents, who are more prone to oral health problems at an early age, would have more chances to develop occlusal discrepancies.

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