Article
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) originates from a virus currently identified as SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2).1 The coronavirus is most abundant in the nasopharyngeal region and the salivary secretions in infected individuals.2,3 The virus may be transmitted via droplets or direct contact, including or even from asymptomatic patients.4
Dental professionals are particularly susceptible due to the nature of the occupation, working within intimate distances of patients.4,5 The Inverse-Square Law dictates that a dentist at 50 cm from a patient's mouth would be exposed to nine times more aerosol droplets (Figure 1) compared to a social distance of 150 cm6 (the calculation is based upon the intensity ratio calculated by the inverse-square law: (1/0.502) ÷ (1/1.502). This has not yet accounted for any increase in aerosol emission as a result of dental treatment.
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