COVID 19: ENDO-CARE
Dr. Sunanda L. Gaddalay, Dr. Anita J. Kale, *Dr. Nayan A. Chavan, Dr. Anuja A. Dhumal, Dr. Madhuri N. Agarwal and Dr. Amol A. Badgire
ABSTRACT
A novel disease emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The disease was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 12 February 2020, as Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The disease is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS CoV-2) Virus. The outbreak of COVID-19 has evolved rapidly into a public health crisis and has spread exponentially to other parts of the world. Given the widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and reports of its spread to health care providers, dental professionals are at high risk for nosocomial infection and can become potential carriers of the disease. The endodontic treatment is complex, requires a longer time compared to other dental procedures and includes aerosol generation, handling of sharp instruments, and proximity of the clinician to the patient’s oropharyngeal region. Long-term assessment of treatment outcomes is usually required. The goal is to provide emergency and urgent dental care to patients, to prevent cross-contamination, and to protect dental care providers during the provision of care. Human-to-human transmission has been described mainly through respiratory droplets and contaminated hands or surfaces. The virus remained viable in aerosols under experimental conditions for at least 3 hours. Coronavirus can persist on inanimate surfaces like metal, glass or plastic for up to 9 days, depending on type of surface, the temperature, and the humidity of the environment. This paper aims at addressing the urgent need to develop a protocol that includes guidelines for dental care and infection control during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Keywords: Covid- 19, Endodontics, Infection control, Sterilization.
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