SARS-CoV-2. The Virus of 2019-2020.
COVID-19. The name of the disease and pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2.
What does that mean to us, and what does that mean to you here at Miller Comfort Dental of Lakeville, LLC?
I will discuss near the end of this narrative what we are doing at the office to protect you, and to protect ourselves.
Please remember that this is a blog entry, a narrative, a discussion. Please do not take this as a research paper, a scientific report, or an end-all-be-all final word. It is just the passing along of some information I hope can set you at ease, and help you to relax in this time of tension and worry.
Yes, the virus is real. Yes, it is truly world-wide. Yes, it can cause a disease that may affect you no worse than a cold. And yes, it can be fatal.
There is so much information out there in the media, online, anecdotally in conversation, in advertisements, on YouTube, on FaceBook, and myriad other places. Some of it is really good information, and some of it is really inaccurate or downright wrong! You have to be very careful in what you accept and reject. The biggest factor is simply making sure of the source. The CDC (Center for Disease Control), the NIH (National Institute of Health), Dr Fauci, The Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research, and many others are reputable, valuable, and accurate. The University of Google is probably not your best source. And You-Tube videos are all over the place, most with no validity at all. Remember, a good marketer can sell ice cubes to a penguin, so be careful.
But there are so many differing opinions and ideas out there, what should we believe?
Have you ever heard the cliche’ “Err on the side of caution” ? Never before has that cliche’ been more accurate and pertinent.
Please understand that this is a new virus in the eyes of the world, and in the eyes of the scientific and research communities. There are countless studies and efforts going on world-wide to figure out just what we are actually facing. There are studies being published by the hour. Some of them are excellent, and some of them are incomplete. Some are flawed research. Some are opinions. Some are observational, meaning they are the educated opinions and observations of those actively working with the virus, or with patients suffering from the virus.
One of the fastest vaccines ever created, verified, fabricated, and distributed was for the Mumps. It took almost 4 years! That was nearly 60 years ago, and although technology is seriously better, it is still going to take time. To have a vaccine in a year would be a true miracle. And it will possibly take as long as 4-5 years to learn what we can about this virus, and immunity, and effects, and modes of infection, treatments, and..well, you get it. Give the Scientists and Researchers the time. They will succeed. But in the meantime, we all have to do our part.
What we do know is that no one thing is going to stop this virus. We all need to do what we can to protect ourselves, our families, and each other. Should we stop our lives indefinitely? I don’t believe that helps anyone. But we can do the little things all of the time, and the big things when necessary.
Wear a mask. There is a misconception that the virus is just out there free-floating, each little virus a human-seeking missile aimed at destruction and mayhem. Not true. The virus has to be attached to something. That something is usually an aerosol or a droplet cause by coughing, sneezing, heavy or labored breathing, and maybe even just normal breathing. These droplets are what the mask blocks. Some masks obviously protect better than others. But wearing a mask in public is called “Source Control.” It is not designed to keep you from getting the virus, but instead works to help keep you from spreading the virus. Medical quality masks do a better job of protecting the wearer, and obviously the higher up the scale, the better the level of protection. But whatever level of protection your mask provides, if it keeps one person from getting sick, then it was worth it. Multiply that times everyone, and that’s a lot of not-sick people.
People hear “asymptomatic” and “pre-symptomatic”. What do they mean?
Asymptomatic means you have the disease, and you have no or minimal symptoms. You are contagious and you don’t know it. Wear a mask!
Pre-symptomatic means you have the virus, and are not yet showing symptoms. You are going to show symptoms, but you just haven’t started to show them yet. Guess what? STILL CONTAGIOUS! Wear a mask!
So the key point here is that anyone may have the virus and not know it! Act as if you do, and wear a mask!
“Oh, but wearing a mask infringes on my personal rights.” Uh, no! I mean, does wearing pants infringe on your personal rights? A Helluva lot more than a mask does! Start the protests! Come on people…be real.
Wash your hands. Use soap and running water. Scrub both entire hands, and between the fingers, and up onto the wrists. Scrub WITH soap for at least 20 seconds, longer is better. Rinse thoroughly and dry with paper towels if possible, and dispose of the towels. In public, use the paper towel to turn off the water and to open the door before then disposing of the towel.
If you have touched something with your hands that you do not know is disinfected, try not to touch your face. Especially your mouth, eyes, nose, ears. Disinfect and wash as soon as you can.
Social Distance. Yes, this may be the new catch-phrase of the decade, but it is also a valuable tool in slowing the spread of this disease. We are all sick of hearing the term, but get used to it. It’s here to stay for awhile. We hear “6 feet”. That’s a recommended minimum distance. Farther is even better. It is less necessary when moving versus standing still, but still should be observed whenever you are able to do so. There are times when it is just not possible. That is when masks become more valuable, and caution is necessary. Do your best. Avoid contact when possible. And be kind!
I have heard so many times, “I’m young and healthy. I’m going to be fine even if I it get it!”
Possibly true, and possibly not. But how about the friend you give it to, who gives it to their neighbor, who gives it to their daughter, who gives it to their teammate, who gives it to their mother, who gives it to her 87 year old mother, who dies. Oh, yeah, and the nurse who got sick because she sat and held the hand of the 87 year old lady while she died. And the grieving family who could not even say goodbye to their beloved grandmother. Yup! So glad you are young and healthy, and it won’t affect you. You have to think about others. Not just yourself.
Minimize your social contact and your trips outside the home in situations where there are a lot of people and common sense may not be enough. Use your wits, and avoid the things and places that are more likely to create problems. Don’t be a hermit, but be smart in your activities. We have to do this together, but each individual must help.
So how about at Miller Comfort Dental of Lakeville, LLC?
The CDC and OSHA put out a list several weeks ago listing the Top 20 professions most at risk to be exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace. Guess what number one is?
DENTAL HYGIENIST! Yup, the wonderful person who cleans your teeth. Number 2 is Respiratory Therapists. Number 3 is Dental Assistants. Number 4 is General Dentists.
Looks like we have this market cornered. So obviously we are going to do what we can to help keep ourselves safe. And in doing that, we help keep you safe!
We are making every effort to stay informed of the latest information available from reputable and valid sites and agencies. Dr. Miller stays abreast of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the NIH (National Institute of Health) recommendations and information.
Dental offices have always used Universal Precautions. We wear masks and gloves, we disinfect the treatment rooms after every patient, and we sterilize all instruments with the latest methods.
In this era of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have upped our game. We have basically doubled our room disinfection procedures, we have added HEPA Air filters in our treatment rooms and the open areas of the office, and we have changed our office policies on patient presence.
When you arrive at the office, we have you complete a simple and easy questionnaire about your conditions and exposure to the virus, and we take your temperature using an infrared no-touch thermometer. The infrared unit has a conversion of 0.6° degrees. So for example if the infrared says 98.0°, you would be 98.6° with an oral thermometer. If you have a body temp of 99.0° or higher with the infrared meter, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment at least 10 days out. We do not allow anyone other than the patient in the treatment areas or the waiting area with a few exceptions where a companion is necessary. The companion is screened in the same way as the patient, and is asked to wear a mask at all times.
We are following OSHA and CDC recommendations on Personal Protective Equipment to the best of our abilities based on the availability of the PPE materials. We are wearing N95 or KN95 masks and face shields when performing procedures that may create an aerosol, and N95s or KN95s and level 3 surgical masks when doing something that does not create an aerosol in the treatment rooms. We have always laundered our clinic attire on-premise, and are continuing to do so. Outer gowns are being changed several times throughout the day, and that frequency will increase when more gowns are available. By increasing our diligence on PPE and infection control procedures, we keep our employees safer, which in turn keeps our patients safer.
Thanks for taking the time to read this long and wordy diatribe. I hope it helps.
Be safe please!
