Well it’s that time of year. The schools have been back for a couple of weeks and usually after 2-3 weeks the bugs, which the kids/ children/ pupils/ students (I’ve lost track of what is the accepted terminology) have been carefully nurturing, start spreading between them and into surrounding communities. Then, come the October holiday and the onset of colder weather, more serious flus are spread –largely by the same route.*
Those in society, who are classed as “vulnerable”, are eligible for flu vaccinations for the most likely forms of flu virus to be circulating, while there may be some innate immunity conferred on the remainder due to circulating antibodies which have been created from past exposure to previous similar viruses.
Of course, with the present Covid-19 pandemic, anyone who has a temperature, new persistent cough, or loss of taste or smell is encouraged to self-isolate and seek a test. But a common cold can cause the same symptoms.
The upshot is that there will be a rash of late cancellations or FTAs at dental practices which are likely to be more numerous than usual for the time of year –not great when we are all trying to catch up with private or maintenance plan patients and appointment slots are at a premium. Of course it is the same from our side. If a clinical member of staff has a child sent home from school, that member of staff will need to self-quarantine until a negative test or positive test (entailing at least a week of being away from the practice and disruption to the appointment book). Add to the mix the complexities of fallow time, urgent NHS AGPs, and the possible reintroduction of all NHS AGPs in the coming months, the organization of appointment books becomes ever more challenging.
Now, more than ever, it is important to keep a list of patients who are able to come in at the drop of a hat to fill appropriate slots vacated by children and others who develop a bit of a sniffle and don’t want to risk spreading it in case its Covid -19. Our pre-visit screening will aid this and continuing financial support from the NHS will help with those late cancelation appointment spaces which cannot be filled.
But that’s not the end of the story. There is some research to show that about 40% of those who test positive for Covid–19 are asymptomatic or are not particularly ill. This is increasingly thought to be due, in part, to at least a partial immunity from antibodies produced in response to exposure to similar viruses.
So it may be that over the years, children returning to school after a holiday period, not only spread bugs around the community, but also help in creating a protective antibody response to more virulent strains of bacteria or viruses for the future.
This then begs the question:
Are school pupils friend or foe to the when it comes to spread of infections?
(* other routes of spread are available)