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Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged disrupting many socio-economical and healthcare aspects across the world. This virus can be transmitted by symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals through saliva and contact. Due to its airborne transmission, aerosols created by natural activiti...

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Autor principal: Patel, Mrudula
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Elsevier 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7640357/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33163669
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05402
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author Patel, Mrudula
author_facet Patel, Mrudula
author_sort Patel, Mrudula
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description The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged disrupting many socio-economical and healthcare aspects across the world. This virus can be transmitted by symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals through saliva and contact. Due to its airborne transmission, aerosols created by natural activities and during dental treatment of infected individuals have become a potential vehicle of transmission and threat. The objective of this review was to assess the existing infection control measures taken in dental health-care settings and suggest modifications to reduce the transmission of novel coronavirus. This is a general review publication. Literature search was made at National Library of Medicine, Pubmed using key words such as “dentistry and COVID”, “dentistry and COVID and infection control”. Publications related to behaviour, education, ethics, treatment and childcare were excluded. Publications describing general aspects of infection control were reviewed. Keyword “Dentistry and COVID and Infection control” generated 70 publications which were reviewed. Infection control measures in dentistry are designed to minimise cross transmission mainly of blood borne pathogens. The unique nature of COVID-19 including highly infectious and transmissibility, and the ability to survive for a long time in the environment requires special attention and modification to the existing infection control measures which are highlighted here. In conclusion, a modified infection prevention and control (IPC) regime will protect the dental practitioner, assistant and staff, patients and the community. During the pandemic, drastic measures are necessary, however, during an endemic period measures can be remodified as necessary.
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spelling pubmed-76403572020-11-06 Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed? Patel, Mrudula Heliyon Review Article The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged disrupting many socio-economical and healthcare aspects across the world. This virus can be transmitted by symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals through saliva and contact. Due to its airborne transmission, aerosols created by natural activities and during dental treatment of infected individuals have become a potential vehicle of transmission and threat. The objective of this review was to assess the existing infection control measures taken in dental health-care settings and suggest modifications to reduce the transmission of novel coronavirus. This is a general review publication. Literature search was made at National Library of Medicine, Pubmed using key words such as “dentistry and COVID”, “dentistry and COVID and infection control”. Publications related to behaviour, education, ethics, treatment and childcare were excluded. Publications describing general aspects of infection control were reviewed. Keyword “Dentistry and COVID and Infection control” generated 70 publications which were reviewed. Infection control measures in dentistry are designed to minimise cross transmission mainly of blood borne pathogens. The unique nature of COVID-19 including highly infectious and transmissibility, and the ability to survive for a long time in the environment requires special attention and modification to the existing infection control measures which are highlighted here. In conclusion, a modified infection prevention and control (IPC) regime will protect the dental practitioner, assistant and staff, patients and the community. During the pandemic, drastic measures are necessary, however, during an endemic period measures can be remodified as necessary. Elsevier 2020-10-30 /pmc/articles/PMC7640357/ /pubmed/33163669 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05402 Text en © 2020 The Author(s) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
spellingShingle Review Article
Patel, Mrudula
Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title_full Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title_fullStr Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title_full_unstemmed Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title_short Infection control in dentistry during COVID – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
title_sort infection control in dentistry during covid – 19 pandemic: what has changed?
topic Review Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7640357/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33163669
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05402
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