key: cord-0881213-4d6rq9qj
authors: Patel, Jay
title: Transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2
date: 2020-05-14
journal: J Dent Sci
DOI: 10.1016/j.jds.2020.05.005
sha: ee4d668f0661523a4f293f5661062d06921be805
doc_id: 881213
cord_uid: 4d6rq9qj

nan

However, the authors make inaccurate references to the established transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2. The authors state that the novel coronavirus is spread via aerosols and the faecal-oral route, in spite of a largely undeveloped evidence-base in support of these pathways. In their most recent scientific brief, the World Health Organisation suggest heightening infection prevention and control measures around contact and respiratory droplet transmission. 2 Indeed, aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) are implied in facilitating airborne transmission but limited evidence is available to support this for SARS-CoV-2. There is an urgent need to develop the evidence-base for the risk associated with AGPs, particularly when planning the return to routine dental practice.

The authors imply confirmation of the faecal-oral route and reference a paper by Meng and colleagues however this seems to have been misinterpreted. 3 I concur with the plausibility of this pathway, owing to recent findings of viral RNA detection in stool samples and enteric symptoms experienced by several cohorts of COVID-19 patients. 4, 5 In the absence of any reports of faecal-oral transmission, this remains a hypothesis, albeit highly probable.

Although the suggested infection control measures for oral healthcare settings seem practical, a thorough awareness of transmission routes is pre-requisite to devising effective advice. None.  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  54 55

Oral healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic

Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: implications for IPC precaution recommendations

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): emerging and future challenges for dental and oral medicine

COVID-19: faecaleoral transmission?

Toothbrushes and COVID-19. Br Dent J 2020

Please cite this article as: Patel J, Transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2

None.

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com