Updated advice for dental practices on treatment of patients with COVID-19 issued
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- Published: Monday, 02 March 2020 07:52
- Written by News Editor
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NHS England has recently published standard operating procedures for COVID-19 in primary dental care settings. This lays down the procedures to be carried out if a patient is suspected of having the virus. The BDA has also issued advice to its members on procedures to be adopted.
NHS England advice starts by saying that most patients presenting in primary dental care settings are unlikely to have COVID-19. “If they have coughs, colds or flu-like symptoms but no relevant (COVID-19) travel or contact history,then management of their dental care should proceed in line with best practice and routine management of the cross-infection risks to staff/patients”.
It continues: “Practice staff are to be made aware of this SOP, the current guidance and case definitions and to be able to carry out an initial risk assessment of patient’s travel/contact history with regards COVID-19.
A possible case of COVID-19 needs to meet both the clinical symptoms AND have a travel history, including travel to, or transit through (for any length of time), the identified risk countries OR contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus.
If a patient is presenting with symptoms after 14 days, they do not meet the case definition and can be handled as normal.
Link to BDA advice:
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