On March 25, 2021, Governor Doug Ducey lifted the mask mandate in Arizona and on May 13, 2021, the CDC laid out new guidelines for mask wearing and distancing to specifically address a significant decrease in Covid infections as a result of newly vaccinated individuals. They did so through their publication entitled: Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People. I know that we are all looking forward to returning to normal and that getting rid of masks is the first thing we would all like to do but, as a result of the sometimes-confusing information that is being put out, I felt it necessary to clarify how these new guidelines will affect how we continue to address Covid-19 in our office.
Within the first few paragraphs of the previously noted document, the CDC discloses that "The following recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings.” They specify that "healthcare settings refers to places where healthcare is delivered and includes, but is not limited to ... physician offices and other", with dentistry falling into the "other" category. Guidelines for healthcare personnel (HCP) settings can be viewed here. They state that "except as noted in the Updated Recommendations below, HCP should continue to follow all current infection prevention and control recommendations, including those addressing work restrictions, quarantine, testing, and use of personal protective equipment to protect themselves and others from SARS-CoV-2 infection." The CDC also laid out an updated Guidance for Dental Settings on December 4th, 2020 in response to Covid-19, after their initial publication addressing the pandemic. These are the guidelines that dentistry is expected to follow and are held accountable for. Finally, the CDC has made it clear that "at this time, there are limited data on vaccine protection in people who are immunocompromised. Further, data on which immunocompromising conditions might affect response to the COVID-19 vaccine and the magnitude of risk are not available. In general, healthcare facilities should continue to follow the infection prevention and control recommendations for unvaccinated individuals (e.g., quarantine, testing) when caring for fully vaccinated individuals with an immunocompromising condition."
As I've mentioned on many occasions, the wellbeing of all of my patients and employees is my number one priority. I am blessed to have the opportunity to care for many patients who are immunocompromised, immunosuppressed, or medically compromised. I take care of patients who have been turned away or referred by other offices for having P.O.T.S., Alzheimer's/Dimentia, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Graft vs Host Disease, cancers, and more. Some patients have more than one co-morbidity and I take the responsibility of caring for them very seriously. Being said, we will continue to provide a safe place where they can be treated by continuing the protocols that were put into place at the beginning of the pandemic. Those will remain in place until further notice by the CDC. Some of the steps we take to reduce or eliminate Covid-19 transmission in our office can be reviewed on our website under the Covid-19 tab. All we ask of you is that, for everyone's safety, our patients continue wearing a mask while in our facility and to limit the number of people entering the building to 1 parent with child, 1 translator, or 1 guardian, as deemed necessary by you. Like you, I look forward to getting back to normal in all aspects of life. For now, we continue to practice with quality and integrity.