The End of the COVID Public Health Emergency & the Orthodontic Practice

Infection prevention expert Jackie Dorst, RDH, BS, is back on the Orthodontic Products podcast to talk to host Alison Werner about the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and what is means for the orthodontic practice.The COVID-19 public health emergency, issued on January 31, 2020, by the U.S. government put in place temporary measures to increase the federal government’s ability to detect and contain the virus. On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services allowed the public health emergency to expire. This will bring an end to a number of programs, including those that gave access to free vaccines and treatment for COVID infections. But, as Dorst explains in this episode, the sunsetting of the CDC’s COVID data tracking efforts will have the most impact on the healthcare sector. As Dorst explains, that data provided information on community infectivity which could be used to guide the sector’s infection control protocols. In this episode, Dorst breaks down what the end of the public health emergency means for orthodontic practices and her recommendations going forward. She points to the end of staff and patient health screenings for COVID, but reminds practices that basic health screening is still important to protect staff and other patients from other infections. Dorst also talks about the importance of having a return to work policy for staff members who are ill, whether it’s COVID or not and the role masking can still play in the practice beyond those procedures that result in splatters and splashes. And from there, Dorst reminds listeners that OSHA’s respiratory protection standard, which predates the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine guidelines are unaffected by the end of the public health emergency. She talks about best practices and shares resources for practices.To close out the episode on the public health emergency, Dorst addresses the CDC’s recent announcement regarding ventilation in buildings and public spaces. And while it doesn’t pertain to healthcare spaces, she reminds listeners of the CDC guidance for healthcare spaces, including orthodontic offices. OPResources mentioned in this episode: Immunize.org—Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations