Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 6

Protect yourself and others. Be W.I.S.E. and avoid the spread of COVID-19. W ear a personal mask:  9 when not wearing PPE as part of clinical duties  9 when socializing in gatherings  9 for day-to-day activities in the community I solate yourself:  9 if you have symptoms or may have been exposed to COVID-19 S ocial distance (2 metres):  9 in between patients  9 in common areas: lunchrooms, sterilization rooms and washrooms  9 in social settings (10 people max., but fewer is better) E xercise proper hand hygiene and avoid:  9 non-essential travel  9 contact with others who have travelled  9 crowded places (bars, restaurants, beaches and house parties)  9 contact with others who have, or are suspected of having, COVID-19 Did you know —there have been several reports of dental offices in other countries where a staff member contracted COVID-19 in the community and regrettably infected other members of the dental team? This example can offer important lessons for dentistry in Canada. Effective communication with dental office team members is vital to help avoid the spread of COVID-19. In August, CDA developed a bilingual, three-part poster series to help raise awareness of the importance that all staff be vigilant inside and outside the “Op” in order to prevent patient or staff-to-staff transmission of COVID-19. This poster series is available to individual dentists via their provincial dental association. D entists can use these posters at any time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The posters, along with a team huddle/key points document, are intended to create a conversation opener during regular team huddles to discuss the importance of being vigilant both inside and outside the office. After months of managing COVID-19, some people can experience pandemic fatigue or are feeling “COVID tired.” This is a general feeling of exhaustion stemming from the overall impact of the pandemic, and it can affect both our personal and professional lives. One issue with pandemic fatigue is that people often start to “let their guard down” outside of work without even realizing. This includes not always following social distancing rules, having larger social gatherings, and not wearing masks when we should be. These types of activities have led to cluster outbreaks in some communities, putting the entire community at risk. It’s important that dental teams continue working together to avoid the spread of infection in their community and avoid bringing it into the office. The posters serve as ever-present reminders for the dental team to be more vigilant; not only in the operatory (“op”), but also when staff leave for the day to enjoy their home and social lives. Patients trust that dentists are experts in infection prevention and control, and dentists should continue demonstrating this expertise by avoiding the spread of COVID-19 both inside and outside their office. 17 Issue 6 | 2020 | CDA at W ork