The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread throughout the United States. Our entire society is working to fight this disease by closing non-essential businesses and practicing social distancing, but as the virus spreads, more people continue to become infected. Those working in the healthcare industry are at risk of contracting the coronavirus. In this article, your dental industry experts at Bryant Consultants will go through our recommended protocols on what to do if a member of your team is diagnosed with COVID-19 or thinks they’ve been exposed.
The American Dental Association issued guidance in mid-March, recommending its dentists refrain from performing any non-essential procedures or treatments for at least three weeks. Many states have followed suit, issuing proclamations or executive orders mandating that dentists only offer emergent dental care right now.
Still, as a practicing dentist, you and your staff have some degree of risk of exposure when providing emergent care to your patients.
What to do if You’ve Been Exposed to COVID-19
First, understand how exposure happens. Generally speaking, you have to be in close contact with someone who already is infected for the virus to be transmitted from person to person.
Close contact is defined as:
- Living in the same household with someone who is infected
- Caring for someone who has COVID-19
- Being within 6 feet of an individual who has been infected for 10 minutes or longer
- Having direct contact with the secretions of an infected individual (being coughed on, sharing food, utensils, etc.)
Public health officials may contact you if they find you’ve been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for coronavirus. If you think you have been exposed, you should self-quarantine yourself for 14 days after your last contact with the infected individual. This self-quarantine may need to be extended if the infected person lives in your household. Avoid work, school, or any public place for a minimum of two weeks. Watch for the major symptoms of COVID-19 during this time: fever, a dry cough, and shortness of breath.
Any healthcare provider who is tested for COVID-19 should self-isolate and refrain from working while awaiting his or her results.
Direct your employees to notify you as soon as possible if they experience symptoms consistent with the coronavirus or have received a positive test. Check to see when their symptoms began so that you can determine if they had contact with any patients or employees two days prior. They should isolate at home for at least seven days and resume their normal routine until they are fever-free for three consecutive days.
What You Should Do If an Employee Is Diagnosed
Determine which days the employee worked on or after the onset of symptoms or when they tested positive for COVID-19 if your team member did not report any symptoms.
Next, identify any patients or other team members who were in close contact with the employee. Make sure to notify patients and recommend they self-quarantine for 14 days after their exposure. Send home any employees, even if not showing symptoms, if possible, to do the same. If you cannot spare these team members, they should wear surgical masks for their entire shift until 14 days have passed from the time of exposure. Any employees who begin to show symptoms should not return to work until their self-quarantine is over.
Guiding Your Dental Practice Through the Coronavirus Crisis
These are turbulent times for the entire world, and your dental practice is no exception. For more guidance on how to manage your practice through this crisis, check out our coronavirus dental practice survival kit, please call Bryant Consultants at (877) 768-4799 or connect with us directly. We provide consultation, training, and coaching and will continue to post relevant updates regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
To ensure that you receive the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
