With recent reported cases of Coronavirus in Pakistan, many questions have started to rise pertaining to viral disease.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease have been unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
Hence to prevent your clinic from suspected transmission, CDC- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have formulated an easy and multi-step approach for all dentists. The primary goal is to prevent transmission of disease, even before the patient arrives at the practice.
These steps include following:
- Know the history of the patient
Patients with an acute respiratory illness should be identified at check-in and placed in a single-patient room with the door kept closed.
- Follow respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette infection control measures
Seek to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections in healthcare settings by adhering to respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette infection control measures at the first point of contact with any potentially infected person
- Always have disposable mask at your disposal
Offer a disposable surgical mask to persons who are coughing; and provide tissues and no-touch receptacles for used tissue disposal. Ill persons should wear a surgical mask when outside the patient room.
- Make sure dental assistance is also covered with mask
Dental healthcare personnel assessing a patient with influenza-like or other respiratory illness should wear disposable surgical facemask, non-sterile gloves, gown, and eye protection (e.g., goggles) to prevent exposure.
- Follow hand hygiene after every possible contact
Patient and dental healthcare workers should perform hand hygiene (e.g., hand washing with non-antimicrobial soap and water, alcohol-based hand rub, or antiseptic handwash) after possible contact with respiratory secretions and contaminated objects/materials.
- Make sure to have a thorough routine cleaning and disinfection in clinic
Routine cleaning and disinfection strategies used during influenza seasons can be applied to the environmental management for COVID-19
by Dr Muattar Hanif
