Is it safe to visit the Doctor’s clinic?

The underlying curiosity when a person tests positive for SARS COVID-19 virus results in intense scrutiny where he or she might have picked it up. A lot of people say they hadn’t left their homes in a hundred days, except to pick up the one-off Amazon parcel, or visit the doctor’s clinic for an unrelated problem. They retrace their steps and all fingers point squarely to a visit to the Physiotherapy Department of a hospital, or to another Specialist for a nagging on-going problem.

“You may have picked it up from any of these places,” I agree. “But think back carefully, did you remove your mask at any of these places?”
“I only pulled my mask down because the Doctor couldn’t hear me clearly,” admitted one person.
“My mask must have been off for the time that she was hooking me onto the physiotherapy equipment,” said another.
“I don’t wear my mask when I go for a walk with my friend in the evening, but she lives in the same building as me,” said a third.

The human nasopharynx is the richest culture media for this virus to grow. It lives there in infected people, and silently and insidiously spreads through droplets as we converse with one another, when we cough and sneeze, when we heave a sigh of relief as we chatter away with our near and dear ones. The magnitude of aerosolisation of the virus is enormous, and the
load that falls upon the recipient becomes tremendous. A lot of people think it is only in a sneeze that the aerosols fly out and transmit, but talking also generates a lot of spittle. So talking with your mask hanging by your neck is probably the easiest way to let your guard down and share some germs!

So is it safe to visit the Doctor’s clinic?     Yes.

It is as safe as visiting any other place. Just make sure your mask is on throughout the visit, don’t touch your face,
keep adequate distance from the other patients in the clinic and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water once you are done. use a hand sanitizer before and after the visit. Ensure your doctor is keeping his N95 mask on at all times as well! (Yes, it’s perfectly polite to ask someone to please don their masks if they haven’t), especially if he has to examine your oral cavity, and your mask has to be removed in the process. Wearing a PPE is not mandatory unless treating a covid positive patient. 

Medical grade N95 masks are a reliable physical barrier to transmission. Avoid gimmicky masks which are made of muslin (Yes, I’ve seen them all!) or those which are simply high fashion. Choose a mask that is easy to clean and germ proof. It’s a simple and logical method to prevent transmission, and hey, in case you find yourself giggling behind it, it can hide a multitude of sins!