Dental Staff Need Coronavirus Protections

A research team from the University of Birmingham found Dental care professionals (DCPs) in England were at heightened occupational risk for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an observational study published in the Journal of Dental Research on June 2, 2021.

The baseline seroprevalence of DCPs was 16.3%, compared to estimates in the regional population of up to 7%.

The only virus-reinfected DCPs were those without a detectable anti-spike protein immunoglobulin G response, either because they had undetectable IgG concentrations at baseline or because their IgG response dwindled over time.

These researchers stated, 'Consistent with other studies, we demonstrate that natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 is generally associated with robust and durable serological responses' (Wajnberg et al. 2020; Dan et al. 2021).'

'Furthermore, in this community-based cohort of DCPs, we corroborate the hospital-based studies of Lumley et al. (2020) and Hanrath et al. (2020) in demonstrating that seropositivity arising from natural infection is associated with longitudinal protection from reinfection with SARS-CoV-2.'

In the USA, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued guidance on May 19, 2021, to help dentists answer questions about new recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding mask use for fully vaccinated people.

The CDC recommendations state, “Although screening for symptoms will not identify asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, symptom screening remains an important strategy to identify those who could have COVID-19 so that appropriate precautions can be implemented.”