Position statement of IACDE for managing dental patients during COVID-19

• Published in: Journal of conservative dentistry Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 114 - 120
• Main Authors: Mazumdar, Paromita, Kaushik, Mamta, Chandrasekhar, Veeramachaneni, Mohan Kumar, R, Rajawat, Akansha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.03.2020; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
• Subjects: Body fluids; Coronaviruses; Cough; COVID-19; Dental health; Disease prevention; Disease transmission; Infectious diseases; Inhalation; Pandemics; Patients; Personnel; Review; Saliva; dental patients; Coronavirus disease 2019; treatment protocol
• ISSN: 0972-0707; 0974-5203
• DOI: 10.4103/JCD.JCD_361_20

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major health concern globally ever since it was declared as Pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Due to the evolving and contagious nature of coronavirus, it continues to remain a threat for dental health-care personnel. As the virus travels from person-to-person via direct contact through droplet inhalation, cough, and sneeze or through contact transmission, it remains infectious even through inanimate surfaces. A seemingly healthy asymptomatic person may have the potential to trigger the spread of this disease. Coronavirus has the capability of spreading through community transmission. There is no specific treatment or vaccine as of now for stopping the spread of COVID-19, hence universal precautions and awareness with mass involvement is required to ward off this pandemic. Dental health-care personnel are at immense risk due to the near proximity with patients and continual exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids. Management protocol regarding awareness and preventive measures should be laid down for dental clinic/hospital to contain the outspread of this infectious disease.