News Bites from CDA Knowledge Networks – 2020/04/01

Insurer says it will pay dentists’ claims for pandemic coverage. theglobeandmail.com, March 31: Aviva Canada CEO Jason Storah says the insurance company will “stand by" its pandemic coverage for dentists who followed provincial orders to close down their practices because of the outbreak of COVID-19. Read more

Le manque d'équipement de protection nuit à l'ouverture d'une clinique dentaire d'urgence. ici.radio-caanda.ca, 1^er avril : Radio-Canada a appris qu’une clinique dentaire d’urgence pourrait ouvrir à Chicoutimi pour traiter les patients à risque ou atteints du coronavirus. L'Ordre des dentistes du Québec veut regrouper les services pour assurer la sécurité des patients et du personnel, mais l’équipement de protection dont les dentistes ont besoin n'est cependant pas disponible pour le moment, ce qui retarde le projet. Lire plus

Les dentistes réclament des masques et des cliniques désignées. lapresse.ca, 1^er avril : Avec la pénurie de masques N95, les dentistes du Québec craignent que des cliniques mal équipées ou mal ventilées deviennent des foyers de contamination de la COVID-19 une fois les patients de retour. Lire plus

Nanaimo dentists donate 4,000 masks, 25,000 gloves to health-care peers. vicnews.com, March 31: With their chairs empty for now, Nanaimo dentists decided they have plenty of equipment they can spare in a crisis. Read more

COVID-19: le cri du cœur d’une dentiste inquiète. tvanouvelles.ca, 30 mars : En cette période de pandémie de COVID-19, une dentiste a lancé un cri du cœur sur sa page Facebook. Elle et ses collègues sont «inquiets» face au manque d’équipements dans leur clinique. Lire plus et écouter 10:27

Tips for Ottawa landlords and tenants in trying times. obj.ca, March 31 [OP-ED]: She [dentist] now has no income. Distraught, she reached out to her landlord, who readily agreed to defer her monthly rent payments until the crisis is alleviated. Read more

B.C. dentist died from COVID-19, family confirms. cbc.ca, March 30: A little more than a week after Dr. Denis Vincent died at his Vancouver home, the B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed his death was the result of his infection with the novel coronavirus, according to his family's lawyer. Read more

Un dentiste de la C.-B. a succombé à la COVID-19 chez lui, confirme sa famille. ici.radio-canada.ca, 30 mars : Le Bureau du coroner de la Colombie-Britannique confirme un peu plus d’une semaine après sa mort que le dentiste Denis Vincent est décédé chez lui des suites d’une infection au nouveau coronavirus, selon l’avocate de sa famille. Read more

Roussin 'can't really speak' about COVID-19 fatality's contacts. winnipegfreepress.com, March 30: The Free Press has confirmed that Margaret Sader, who worked at Sinclair Dental in Winnipeg, was Manitoba's first COVID-19 fatality. Read more

Vernon, Kelowna denturists hit hard amid COVID-19. saobserver.net, March 30: Okanagan denture clinics wonders if they’ll ever be able sustain the sting of pandemic. Read more

Premier uses own truck to pick up donated masks amid the COVID-19 crisis. torontosun.com, March 30: When Dental Brands offered to donate over 100,000 surgical masks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford showed up in person with his own truck to collect the supplies. ... Dental Brands also donated 4,600 bottles of hand sanitizer. Read more

COVID-19 - Emergency screening of dental patients using teledentistry. rcdso.org, March 26: The following provides direction for Ontario dentists on the acceptable use of teledentistry during the current State of Emergency. It does not authorize the use of teledentistry in any other setting or circumstance. Read more

Emergency dental care deemed essential service amid coronavirus crisis. toronto.com, March 29: 'Stress and anxiety can take a toll on oral health,' writes Dr. Shannon Hobbs. Read more

Sault dentists, patients, going through ‘difficult time’. sootoday.com, March 29: Dentists in Sault Ste. Marie and across Ontario have been placed in a difficult position due to COVID-19. Read more

Edmonton-area dentists offer free virtual consultations during COVID-19 pandemic. cbc.ca, March 29: A group of Edmonton-area dentists are using technology to offer free dental consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group hopes its new website will take unnecessary pressure off hospital emergency rooms and offer a service that's currently difficult to obtain. Read more

Ask-me-anything dentist. castanet.net, March 30: After two weeks of being closed, Dr. Cindy Nagel is reaching out to patients and the public, in a new way. The Horizon Dental Clinic dentist is holding an 'ask-me-anything' event online to answer any questions people have about dentistry and more. Read more

Baird tracks historic fall in dental demand. dental-tribune.com, Apr 01: COVID-19 is causing historically significant contractions in patient volumes and demand for dental equipment. Baird Equity Research is tracking the situation by surveying U.S. dentists and says that it is too early to predict when demand might bottom out and what might happen afterward. Read more

Delta Dental member companies begin offering financial assistance during pandemic. ada.org, March 31: ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs encouraging others to follow lead. Read more

Coronavirus impact on dental practices: Paving the road to recovery [Video]. dentistryiq.com, March 30: Dr. Roger Levin is focusing on helping dentists get back up and running after weeks of being closed. Watch 58:43

Cancellation of FDI World Dental Congress 2020. world-dental-congress.org, March: … in light of these exceptional circumstances, FDI Council has decided to cancel the FDI World Dental Congress, scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China, from 1-4 September 2020. Read more

Australian dentists face bleak future as coronavirus restrictions hit level 3. miragenews.com, March 31: The majority of dentists in Australia will be impacted and some could be permanently wiped out by the coronavirus suggests a leading Melbourne dental surgeon, Dr Yvonne King, as the Australian Dental Association announces level 3 restrictions on dental work. Read more

Coronavirus and a shortage of surgical masks means dental surgeons like me can't operate. abc.net.au, March 31 [OPINION]: This pandemic is predicted to last for a while but the effects of COVID-19 on our healthcare system will be felt for years. Read more

School Of Engineering Releases Design Files On Surgical Mask Prototype Following Successful Fit Test. news.mercer.edu, March 30: Following the successful test, Mercer plans to move forward fabricating masks and distributing them to medical facilities and healthcare practitioners that have indicated a need for alternative PPE as a stopgap measure for employees until FDA-approved PPE is available. Read more

ADA Signs on to Joint Commission Statement on the Shortages of Critical Medical Equipment. ada.org, March 27: As organizations that represent or collaborate with individuals and institutions at the forefront of delivering health care in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are vitally concerned with the shortages of masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, swab kits, and testing capacity that are critically needed by frontline caregivers and patients. In the most affected areas, hospitals, other healthcare delivery organizations, physicians, dentists and other caregivers need help now. Read more

NYC dentists, eye doctors, specialists see fewer patients in coronavirus crisis: ‘I may as well shut my doors, but I don’t want to’. nydailynews.com, March 28: … Faber wrote an open letter to Gov. Cuomo last week urging him to ease the restrictions on dental procedures. Like Gupta, he fears a worse health crisis if doctors can’t keep their doors open. Read more

John T. Will column: The dental industry is in trouble. richmond.com, March 29 [OPINION]: ... We are faced with what appears to be an impossible choice: return to work and risk being infected ourselves, or stop treating patients indefinitely and risk a vast number of dental practices will become insolvent. What will the average dental practice do if the executive order is extended beyond April 25? Read more

What's happening in Canada and around the world Wednesday. cbc.ca, Apr 01: Trudeau to release new details on emergency aid, Conservatives push for return of Parliament; Canada's airline, tourism sectors facing 'catastrophic' decline due to COVID-19 pandemic; 'Everybody is susceptible': Why younger Canadians may be helping fuel the spread of COVID-19.; Long-term care homes are worrisome COVID-19 hot spots; and more Read more

COVID-19 au Canada : ce qu’il faut retenir aujourd’hui. ici.radio-canada.ca, 1^er avril : Lire plus

The latest on the coronavirus: Rent day arrives; Trudeau, Scheer donate pay hikes. theglobeandmail.com, Apr 01: Ontario, B.C., Quebec begin building makeshift hospitals; Commercial property landlords push back against rent relief requests from big firms; Ottawa to spend $2-billion on medical gear as Canadian industry retools to battle COVID-19, and more. Read more

The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Wednesday. thestar.com, Apr 01: 8,591 COVID-19 cases in Canada; Why Europe was ill-prepared for pandemic, and more. Read more

PM eyes low-interest aid for those hit hardest; Ottawa pressing banks to offer lines of credit to cash-strapped Canadians. The Toronto Star, Apr 01: Canadians may soon to be able to tap into low-interest lines of credit backed by the federal government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday that help was on the way for Canadians who may have to take out loans to pay bills as they endure the economic shocks of business closures and unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. See more

'Best case scenario': COVID-19 measures expected to last until July, government document says. nationalpost.com, Apr 01: Government officials have been hinting that distancing measures would be recommended – or enforced – for more than just the next few weeks. Read more

Ontario, B.C., Quebec begin building makeshift hospitals in preparation for rise in COVID-19 patients. theglobeandmail.com, March 31: Canada’s three largest provinces have begun setting up temporary makeshift hospitals to expand their number of available beds in anticipation of an influx of patients with COVID-19. Read more

Doctor warns of risks to patients' privacy amid surge in virtual care. ctvnews.ca, March 31: A top doctor in medical informatics says the lack of a pan-Canadian approach to remote patient care during the COVID-19 crisis is putting some patients' privacy at risk of being compromised. Read more

Coronavirus in Canada: These charts show how our fight to 'flatten the curve' is going. macleans.ca, March 31: Canada has more than 8,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19; concern continues to rise about the disease gaining a foothold in nursing homes and other vulnerable communities. Read more

With COVID-19 testing criteria restricted in Canada, can we be sure we are flattening the curve? nationalpost.com, March 31: Phillips said he'll remain skeptical Canada has the situation under control until the point where officials are testing people with even mild symptoms. Read more

Pressures of COVID-19 could be catastrophic for mental health system. cbc.ca, Apr 01: How we care for those with mental illness during COVID-19 affects entire health care system. Read more

Fear and anger on the frontlines: What happens if there aren't enough masks? macleans.ca, March 30: Some Canadian doctors are talking about walking off the job if they're not provided with adequate equipment to protect themselves from infection. Read more

Some health experts questioning advice against wider use of masks to slow spread of COVID-19. cbc.ca, March 31: Guidance from the WHO and public health officials in Canada say masks not necessary for asymptomatic people. Read more

Opinion: What we're experiencing is much more than a pandemic. montrealgazette.com, March 30 [OPINION]: … what we will know about this virus at the end of the pandemic will be vastly different from what we thought we knew at the beginning: an exercise in humility. Read more

Canada’s coronavirus aid package guards against drug shortages with compulsory licensing. theconversation.com, March 30: The act effectively brings back compulsory licensing for drugs if supply is interrupted because of the effects of COVID-19. Read more

Manitoba First Nations ask defence minister to set up military hospital - 2 First Nations have yet to confirm any cases of COVID-19. cbc.ca, March 31: Two First Nations communities in Manitoba have made a direct appeal to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to establish a military hospital in their region in anticipation of an outbreak of COVID-19, CBC News has learned. Read more

Indigenous Health: Communities at Risk. tvo.org, March 30: Virtually every community in this province finds itself squaring off with the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Ontario’s rate of COVID-19 testing is lower than other big provinces, slowing our ability to get a clear sense of virus spread. thestar.com, March 30: Ontario is testing for coronavirus at a rate less than half that of the other big provinces, leaving thousands of potentially undiagnosed cases out of official statistics and instilling a false sense of confidence as the province enters a key period for flattening the curve of infection. Read more

Trudeau says businesses, non-profits, charities all eligible for wage subsidy. theglobeandmail.com, March 30: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday the 75-per-cent wage subsidy announced late last week will be available to large and small companies as well as charities and non-profit organizations to keep employees on the payroll and weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Wage subsidy will help ‘retain hundreds of thousands of workers who would otherwise be laid off,’ business groups say. thestar.com, March 27: Business organizations on Friday were lauding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that the federal government will provide a 75 per cent wage subsidy to laid-off workers at small- and medium-sized businesses. Read more

The United States is now the epicentre of the pandemic. Canada has every reason to be alarmed. theglobeandmail.com, March 29 [OPINION]: When the U.S. sneezes, the old adage goes, Canada catches a cold. But what happens when the U.S. coughs? When it coughs that dry hacking coronavirus cough? We’re about to find out. Read more

COVID-19 Carelessness: Which Canadians say pandemic threat is ‘overblown’? And how are they behaving in turn? angusreid.org, March 30: Now, a new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute shows this cohort – more cavalier in their approach to the virus that has ground Canadian society to a halt and caused an economic crisis – differs significantly from those who say they take the risk seriously, especially when it comes to distancing and hygiene. Read more

Young people have no 'bulletproof' protection from COVID-19 — particularly smokers and vapers. cbc.ca, March 30: Public health experts issue warning: smoking and vaping could make you more vulnerable to COVID-19's effects. Read more

How science is accelerating to try and catch up with COVID-19. macleans.ca, March 30: Canada needs its own vaccine for the novel coronavirus, says virologist Alyson Kelvin. “If all countries are experiencing this at the same time, no one is going to be able to share with us.” Read more

B.C. experimenting with malaria and Ebola medications to treat COVID-19 patients. cbc.ca, March 28: According to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, anti-malaria medication hydroxychloroquine, and the antiviral Remdesivir — at one point used to treat Ebola — are currently being tested on patients inside at least one facility in B.C. Outbreaks have occurred inside 12 long-term care homes in the province. Read more

Ontario doctors told to stop prescribing unproven drug combination touted by Donald Trump. thestar.com, March 28: Medical and health associations in Ontario issued a warning Saturday as the province — and country — see a surge in the prescription of two drugs that appear to be circulating as treatments for COVID-19 despite both a “serious lack of evidence” that they work and significant potential side-effects. Read more

Ontario suspends rules protecting vulnerable, long-term care residents. orangeville.com, March 30: The order also removes training requirements for workers, allows homes to bring in volunteers and eliminates the need for administrators to report most complaints to the ministry.  “It’s going to be a disaster,” said Jane Meadus, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly. Read more

Del Duca urges Ford to help long-term care workers, fast-track foreign-trained health professions. hamiltonnews.com, March 30: Del Duca would also like to see thousands of foreign-trained health professionals be allowed to practice in Ontario because of the high demand for doctors and nurses during the pandemic. Read more

Chiropractors told to remove posts claiming they boost immune system and prevent COVID-19. cbc.ca, March 30 [CBC Investigates]: There's no scientific evidence that chiropractic care can boost your immune system, but that hasn't stopped some chiropractors from touting the practice as a tool to prevent infection from the novel coronavirus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Ontario developing ‘last resort’ guidelines on which patients to prioritize if hospitals are overwhelmed by critical COVID-19 cases. thestar.com, March 29: The provincial government has developed a “triage protocol” for doctors who may soon be forced to make ethically fraught decisions over how to ration critical care beds and. Read more

Experts study how coronavirus pandemic affects trust in officials, ourselves. ctvnews.ca, March 29: Several Canadian researchers have received grants to study the relationship between COVID-19 and social trust -- an aspect of public health that doesn't involve labs or quarantines but is every bit as important. Read more

Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. who.int, March 31: Situation Report – 71. Read more

3D modelling shows novel coronavirus binds to human cells better than SARS. ctvnews.ca, March 31: A new study that uses 3D modelling to compare the novel coronavirus with SARS shows that it can bind to human cells more strongly than its predecessor due to a structural mutation, which researchers say could be key knowledge in the search for a vaccine. Read more

Researchers Find Key—and Vulnerable—Features of Novel Coronavirus. research.umn.edu, March 30: A team of University of Minnesota scientists has laid the groundwork for designing drugs to block the novel coronavirus from attaching itself to, and infecting, human cells. Read more

Chinese scientists isolate ‘extremely effective’ antibodies that may help treat COVID-19. theglobeandmail.com, Apr 1: A team of Chinese scientists has isolated several antibodies that it says are “extremely effective” at blocking the ability of the new coronavirus to enter cells, which eventually could be helpful in treating or preventing COVID-19. Read more

UN chief says world facing worst crisis since Second World War. ctvnews.ca, Apr 01: The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic continued to worsen Wednesday despite unprecedented lockdowns, as the head of the United Nations sounded the alarm on what he said was humanity's worst crisis since the Second World War. Read more

Claims vitamin C can prevent or cure COVID-19 unfounded, experts warn. ctvnews.ca, March 31: Reports that hospitals are turning to high doses of intravenous vitamin C to treat patients with severe cases of COVID-19 have reignited claims that the vitamin can prevent or cure cases of the novel coronavirus. Read more

Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. who.int, March 30: Situation report - 70. Read more

FDA approves mask sterilization technology promoted by Trump. thehill.com, March 30: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a sterilization system that has the capability of decontaminating desperately needed respirator masks up to 20 times. Read more

Johnson & Johnson wants to start testing its coronavirus vaccine by September. cnn.com, March 30: Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson plans to begin human clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine by September with a goal of the first batches being made available for emergency use authorization by early next year. Read more

Hackers target health care AI amid coronavirus pandemic. thehill.com, March 31: … as the coronavirus crisis ramps up, and hackers turn their eyes toward the health sector, experts warn these systems and the patients they support are increasingly at risk. Read more

Experts say COVID-19 will likely lead to US drug shortages. cidrap.umn.edu, March 27: Researchers at the University of Minnesota say the COVID-19 pandemic stands a good chance of leading to shortages of critically needed medications in the United States, given the nation's heavy dependence on drugs made in other countries, especially India and China. Read more

U.S. regulator approves limited use of malaria drugs for COVID-19. ctvnews.ca, March 30: A limited emergency-use authorization for two antimalarial drugs touted as game-changers by President Donald Trump has been issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat coronavirus patients. Read more

‘Doctors are getting sick everywhere’: Coronavirus taking a toll on New York medical workers. theglobeandmail.com, March 30: A supervisor urged surgeons at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan to volunteer for the front lines because half the intensive-care staff had already been sickened by coronavirus. Read more

The latest international news on the coronavirus. theglobeandmail.com, March 30: Merkel’s spokesman says it would be ‘irresponsible’ to offer false hope of quick end to restrictions; Over 12,000 health workers test positive for coronavirus in Spain; and more. Read more

Pressure Mounts on Insurance Companies to Pay Out for Coronavirus. wsj.com, March 30: Push comes despite exclusions in most standard policies for claims stemming from viruses; some insurers threaten court challenges. Read more

The New Science Being Used to Fast-Track a Coronavirus Vaccine. thedailybeast.com, March 29: We’re currently developing novel vaccine candidates for Zika, and have successfully developed a potential protective antibody-based treatment—in 90 days—to stop that viral disease. Read more

A lottery for ventilators? Hospitals prepare for ethical conundrums. politico.com, March 27: While some states have ethics guidelines in place, there is no national standard for who gets access to scarce life-saving machinery. Read more

'Coronavirus could wipe us out': indigenous South Americans blockade villages. theguardian.com, March 30: 'Coronavirus could wipe us out': Indigenous groups across South America are blockading their villages and retreating into their traditional forest and mountain homes in a bid to escape the potentially cataclysmic threat of coronavirus. Read more

COVID-19 silver lining: experts predict innovation in medicine, education, remote work. ctvnews.ca, March 31: But so-called telemedicine is likely just one of the technological legacies this crisis will leave. Experts in medicine, artificial intelligence, education and many other fields say they expect the pandemic to fast-forward innovations that will benefit the world long after the novel coronavirus has run its course. Read more

An open letter from concerned Alberta doctors to Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health and Jason Kenny, Premier of Alberta. eckvilleecho.com, March 30 [OPINION]: We are the frontline doctors serving patients across the province of Alberta in this unprecedented time. The proposed changes that will be initiated April 1, 2020 are detrimental to our patients and the health care system. Now is not the time to restructure the system that we understand and intrinsically know how to operate. Read more

Hidden camera investigation finds misleading information, questionable treatment plans from SmileDirectClub. cbc.ca, March 28: Following Marketplace investigation, company announces increased training and changes to ‘customer experience’. Read more

Testing SmileDirectClub: Hidden camera investigation. cbc.ca, March 28: Looking to fix your smile while saving money and time? SmileDirectClub claims you can safely do it for about half the cost of a traditional orthodontist — from the comfort of your home. They advertise “No braces. No monthly visits. No paying a fortune.” Is it really that easy? We sent four testers inside with hidden cameras to find out. Watch 11:13

COVID-19 or no, Iran must release black boxes from January crash. tricitynews.com, March 26: Despite the daunting hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran must live up to its pledge to co-operate with the investigation into its downing of a commercial airliner in January. Read more

Oral Science Expands to the U.S. Market. prnewswire.com, March 31: Canadian dental health company, Oral Science is expanding its reach to the United States market. Read more

Vaping industry escapes legislative ban, but coronavirus poses new threat to users. spokesmanreview.com, March 29: After Washington’s emergency ban on flavored vape products expired in February, the Legislature failed to pass a more permanent ban, and vaping stores have again begun selling their products. Read more

scanbox, the dental scanner that sends images of your teeth to your dentist. designboom.com, March 28: dental monitoring — a company that creates AI-powered solutions to reinvent patients’ experience with dental treatment — has designed a portable scanner that uses your phone to send images to your dentist’s office. called scanbox, the device is able to identify oral conditions and provide a comprehensive report. Read more

Dental practice trend aches for better oversight. dispatch.com, March 29 [EDITORIAL]: Any health-care provider padding income with unnecessary procedures commits a grave breach of ethics at least. And there must be a special place in hell for someone who would impose unnecessary dentistry — root canals, no less. Read more

Finest Dental collapse described as 'scandal' by former dentist. bbc.com, March 29: The collapse of a chain of cosmetic dental practices was "the worst failure of any corporate dental body the UK has ever seen", one of its former dentists has said. Finest Dental closed all nine of its branches suddenly in February, leaving some patients mid-treatment and thousands of pounds out of pocket. Read more

Dalhousie University – Current course offerings

McGill University – Continuing dental education

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry University – Continuing professional development

Université Laval – Formation continue

University of Manitoba – Continuing professional development

Université de Montréal – Formation dentaire continue

University of Alberta – Program and courses

University of British Columbia – Calendar of courses

University of Saskatchewan – Continuing professional dental education

University of Toronto – Continuing dental education