Contracted during dental appointment

[redferrari]

I had a dental appointment for a filling and I have since been unwell and have tested positive. I was assured that all procedures are followed.

I emailed the dentist and she says she was told to isolate day after I met her but not on the day of appointment. I wonder if she should have informed me as she could have been an asymptomatic carrier. Isn't it her duty to inform those she came in contact with if she has been told to isolate? She has tested negative but I tested positive and she is not informing anyone nor is she using the test and trace app. Is this right according for rules? I have since installed the app and filled up all the tracing information.

exactly-shes tested negative she didnt give it to you

[quote redferrari]@DumplingsAndStew thanks! Yes sorry I am not thinking clearly, just understand however careful you are no one is safe![/quote]
I thought that was already widespread knowledge. The precautions we take are to decrease the likelihood of catching it/passing it on, not completely protect from them

@bananaflavoured thanks, I did feel safe and I was charged £95 for PPE and sanitisation charges. I am wondering if it was via someone else in the building while I was there.

£95? WTF.

She was told to isolate the day after you went. She’s not a mindreader, how would she know on the day of your appointment

[quote redferrari]@bananaflavoured thanks, I did feel safe and I was charged £95 for PPE and sanitisation charges. I am wondering if it was via someone else in the building while I was there. [/quote]
£95 WTF!

OP you are putting a lot of energy into trying to work out who gave you it but the truth is you will never know. Sometimes it just comes down to bad luck. I picked it up in work, I know this because I hadn't been anywhere else and my family had all been at home for 2 weeks prior. I wear PPE but clearly this virus finds a way. Yet I didn't spread it within my household. So weird. The dentist has done everything correctly, but going into any place that has people coming and going is obviously a risk. When I tested positive, the patients I had saw a few hours before my symptoms started were not informed as I had PPE on (and none did contract it thankfully). Your dentist didn't even test positive so I don't understand why you would expect to have been informed (plus it wouldn't have stopped you getting it!). You mention the app, what would you expect the dentist to do with the app? HCPs are not meant to use it because we don't isolate when in contact with a positive case if are wearing PPE. But she had nothing to tell the app anyway, as she tested negative?

As I mentioned before .... It could be your online shop.
Viruses live on surfaces.

Test and Trace doesn't work that well.
But it's the best we have.

How do you know you didn't contract it at home kids can have it with no symptoms
I know if I caught covid most likely place would be from ds from school
I mean he finished just over 10 days ago showed no symptoms but he could have it now for all I know and pass it on without us knowing
Or I could have it now without knowing , thats why this virus spreads so well as often people are not aware they have it

I agree the virus could have been on your shopping. Did you seriously pay £95 for PPE at your appointment?!

If you have more than one dc, one of them could have had it asymptomatically when they finished school, passed it on to child 2 on day 5 who was also asymptomatic who then passed it on to you. Even if they finished on the 11th there could easily have been a chain of transmission within your own household. I hope you are feeling better soon.

My sons school have taken a decision to close a week earlier (it's a pvt school) so he was home 10 days before and haven't been even to park as it's raining. All deliveries are kept in the entrance until we wipe them, I wash all fruit and veg before storing it. My husband and I wfh since March. Yes PPE was £95 (London) so I queried and was told it was standard as she needs to dispose PPE after single use.

As @PrivateIndoorXmas says I think its a case of bad luck but I just keep going over what I could have done to prevent it. Feel terrible to have to go through this during holidays and I may have passed it to my husband as well. He has just done a test and has loss of taste smell as well :(

OP I hope you and your family have a quick recovery

Wow! Dentist here again . £95 ??? I nearly choked. I appreciate you said it's in London. But that's bonkers.

@PrivateIndoorXmas thanks a lot! Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts

If she tested negative you obviously didn't catch it from her. Yes you took off your mask but we don't wear the full PPE gear for fun it's to protect you and us. You didn't get it from her. It sounds like you have children you prob caught it from them

It could also have been one of the assistants or patients. There is a lot of traffic in a dental office and even with all precautions it's difficult to completely disinfect every surface for every patient. Eg. Another patient could have used the bathroom, coughed/sneezed and the aerosols remained in the air if ventilation wasn't possible. Or by touching a surface/door knob/lift button and then accidentally scratching an itch on your face or adjusting your mask.

For perspective, DH is a dentist and out of 6 assistants, 4 have had covid or been forced to isolate because they live with someone who had it. Their cleaning lady also had covid and was off for 2 weeks. Thankfully he has always been negative but it's proof how easily the virus spreads. Incidentally, all of the above caught it privately through family members/partners so it was just coincidence that they worked together.

It's got a long incubation period. I'd suspect your son.

How early is early school closure? Your child could have started shedding the virus asymptomatically up to two weeks after finishing school??
I would have thought it would be quite hard to catch at the dentist.

@bananaflavoured thank you for your post. I've got a dental appointment on 4th Jan and I keep wondering whether I should cancel but you've made me feel better as I trust my dentist will be following the same procedures.

OP I hope you're feeling better soon.

Schools closed in afternoon of 11th here. I tested positive 2 weeks after that. I guess it could be from someone in the building itself if not from dentist. It's on 2nd floor. There were also assistants and a lady in reception.

it could have come in on food or post if you didn't clean or wait 72hrs to open post. Did you park te car and get a ticket? Who pushed the green button before you. Did you cross the road on a crossing, did you pass others closely albeit briefly, did you put hands on the door handle where other patients did who might have touched elsewhere is not positive etc etc etc

No one at the dentist tested positive so despite your belief regarding how you caught it you are wrong.

You are in London - explains everything.