COVID-19 and Pediatric Dentistry

The situation of COVID-19 evolved rapidly with increasing numbers of cases and involved countries. The WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020 and the outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.India's first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection began in late January 2020 and lasted for about nine months. A total of 11 million cases and 0.157 million deaths were reported from India over this period with a peak attained in mid-September, 2020. This was relatively mild compared to the second wave that followed, from mid-February 2021 onwards, and exhibiting a more explosive spread across the country. A major factor driving this second wave was the emergence of more-infectious variants of SARS-CoV-2, principally B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant) and B.1.617.2 (Delta variant), of which the latter has played a dominant role.