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The American Dental Association issued the following press release discussing resources that are available during the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Fellow Members
Like you, I have seen the growing volume of news coverage on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the COVID-19 disease. While the risk of transmission in the United States is still low at this time, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official recently stated, “We expect we will see community spread in the United States. It’s not a question of if this will happen, but when this will happen, and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses.”
As of the morning of March 2, the Washington Post reports that the U.S. government has confirmed 87 Coronavirus cases. As health care professionals, we must continue to closely monitor this situation and ensure our office procedures and protocols related to infection control are up to date.
As a practicing dentist, I know firsthand the concerns many of us are facing related to our practices, our staff and our patients. I want to assure you that ADA has our backs.
Here’s what we are and will be doing:
- Created, and are updating with new developments, a webpage and handout at ADA.org/virus with Coronavirus information curated specifically for dental professionals. You’ll find answers to frequently asked questions, information on patient assessment and a just added section on availability of personal protective equipment.
We will promote important updates to this page via the Morning Huddle. If you are not currently registered to receive ADA e-publications, including the Morning Huddle, please email the ADA Member Service Center at msc@ada.org or call 800.621.8099.
- Contacting suppliers of masks to dental offices so we can share with you the scope of the situation. We know that some members are facing challenges in obtaining masks. The Food and Drug Administration says there are currently no known shortages on medical devices within the US market.
As with prior emergencies, the FDA remains in contact with medical device manufacturers and others in the supply chain. The FDA encourages manufacturers and healthcare facilities to report any supply disruptions to the device shortages mailbox at deviceshortages@fda.hhs.gov. The FDA indicates this mailbox has been a valuable surveillance resource to augment their efforts to detect and mitigate potential supply chain disruption.
- Assessing and planning for potential disruptions in ADA operations. Readiness is key. While transmission risk in the U.S. is currently low, this is a rapidly evolving situation. Our goal is to ensure ADA operations remain as smooth as possible so we can continue to provide excellent service to our members.
I encourage you to visit the CDC’s COVID-19 situation webpage as well as ADA.org/Coronavirus
for more information.
We stand together as health professionals united in the ADA mission to help all members succeed and support the advancement of the health of the public.
Sincerely, |
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Chad P. Gehani, DDS
President |
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