Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice

• Published in: International journal of oral science Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 9
• Main Authors: Peng, Xian, Xu, Xin, Li, Yuqing, Cheng, Lei, Zhou, Xuedong, Ren, Biao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03.03.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 631/326/1762; 692/499; ACE2; Angiotensin; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Body fluids; China; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; Cough; COVID-19; Dental Care - standards; Dental Clinics - standards; Dentistry; Dentists; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Fetuses; Genomes; Health Personnel; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; Inhalation; Medicine; Oral administration; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Orthopedics; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Review; Review Article; Rhinolophus affinis; Saliva; SARS-CoV-2; Seafood; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Surgical Orthopedics; China
• ISSN: 1674-2818; 2049-3169; 2049-3169
• DOI: 10.1038/s41368-020-0075-9

A novel β-coronavirus (2019-nCoV) caused severe and even fetal pneumonia explored in a seafood market of Wuhan city, Hubei province, China, and rapidly spread to other provinces of China and other countries. The 2019-nCoV was different from SARS-CoV, but shared the same host receptor the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The natural host of 2019-nCoV may be the bat Rhinolophus affinis as 2019-nCoV showed 96.2% of whole-genome identity to BatCoV RaTG13. The person-to-person transmission routes of 2019-nCoV included direct transmission, such as cough, sneeze, droplet inhalation transmission, and contact transmission, such as the contact with oral, nasal, and eye mucous membranes. 2019-nCoV can also be transmitted through the saliva, and the fetal–oral routes may also be a potential person-to-person transmission route. The participants in dental practice expose to tremendous risk of 2019-nCoV infection due to the face-to-face communication and the exposure to saliva, blood, and other body fluids, and the handling of sharp instruments. Dental professionals play great roles in preventing the transmission of 2019-nCoV. Here we recommend the infection control measures during dental practice to block the person-to-person transmission routes in dental clinics and hospitals.