There are seven things dental practices should do to help manage the health of team members if a recent patient reports that they or a household member has COVID-19, according to the American Dental Association.
Seven steps to follow if a patient tests positive for COVID-19:
1. Identify each staff member, both clinical and administrative, who had contact with the patient.
2. Assess the level of risk exposure for each staff member.
3. Staff with higher risk exposure should actively monitor their health, isolate and refrain from working for 14 days after the exposure.
4. Staff with a lower exposure risk can continue to work with appropriate gear and should actively self-monitor their health for 14 days.
5. Any staff member who experiences COVID-19 symptoms should be tested.
6. Staff testing negative for COVID-19 and whose symptoms have resolved can continue to work and should self-monitor for 14 days.
7. Staff who test positive for COVID-19 should immediately move to protocols outlined by the CDC and local departments of public health.