COVID-19 update: information from AHS on wearing eye protection and exposures and investigations

December 10, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

With the increase in COVID-19 cases and the introduction of new provincial restrictions, the ACAC has continued to receive questions on practicing in the pandemic environment. Below is pertinent information to the most common questions that the ACAC receives.

Wearing Eye protection in the office

The ACAC has received clarification from Alberta Health regarding their new requirement of eye protection for front-line workers.

We have confirmed that, at this time, community-based practitioners, such as chiropractors, do not require eye protection when treating asymptomatic patients.

However, Alberta Health Services and Primary Care Networks are instructing community-based physicians to wear eye protection in addition to masking when caring for asymptomatic patients.

While there is no official requirement for community-based practitioners, the ACAC strongly recommends that chiropractors start to wear eye protection in addition to procedural masks when treating patients. The reason for this recommendation is that wearing eye protection in addition to procedural masks reduces the likelihood that you will be considered a close contact after an exposure in the clinic.

As a reminder, you should not be treating any patients that exhibit symptoms. Symptomatic patients should be directed to call 811.

Exposures and investigations

COVID-19 exposures have occurred, and will continue to occur, in chiropractic offices for the duration of the pandemic. We continue to receive reassurance from Alberta Health that screening for asymptomatic patients, hand hygiene, and wearing and using appropriate PPE will limit your risk of becoming a close contact. Please refer to Alberta Health’s definition of a close contact below, which remains the same even considering newly-introduced restrictions. A close contact is defined as individuals that:

provided direct care for the case, including health care workers, family members or other caregivers, or who had other similar close physical contact (e.g., intimate partner, hug, kiss, handshake) without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), or
lived with or otherwise had close prolonged contact which may be cumulative, i.e., multiple interactions for a total of 15 min or more and within two metres with a case without consistent and appropriate use of PPE and not isolating, or
had direct contact with infectious body fluids of a case (e.g., shared cigarettes, glasses/bottles, eating utensils) or was coughed or sneezed on while not wearing recommended PPE.

The following are decision points that guide the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) or their designate in determining your risk of being a close contact. Assessment of PPE for health-care workers remains the same and includes:

A surgical/procedure mask and good hand hygiene is considered sufficient PPE for asymptomatic health care workers working with asymptomatic patients including within the 48 hours prior to developing symptoms.
A surgical/procedure mask and good hand hygiene is NOT appropriate PPE for health care workers caring for symptomatic patients.
All regulated health professionals will be assessed by the MOH/designate regarding their infection prevention and control (IPC) practices to determine if those offered sufficient protection while caring for pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Quarantine recommendations based on this assessment are at the discretion of the MOH.

When exposure occurs, you will be contacted by a MOH/designate.

Compliance with the ACAC’s COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive will continue to limit your risk of being considered a close contact.

What to do if told to isolate after an exposure

If you are following the ACAC’s COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive and are still told to isolate after an exposure, you are advised to ask the following:

What is the specific reason why you are being advised to isolate?
The name of who you’re speaking with and a contact number for that person?

After collecting this information, please contact the Registrar via email or phone 780.420.0932 to discuss the situation. Make sure you have the name and contact information of the Alberta Health representative you spoke with so the ACAC can follow up on your behalf, if necessary.

Advocating for chiropractors’ rights to practise

In the current pandemic environment, the best advocacy for chiropractic rights is the collective adherence of all chiropractors to the public health mandate. Regulated health professionals must continue to act for the good of the public’s health or be subject to inquiry by both public health and the College. In consideration of COVID-19, chiropractors need to follow IPC measures, screen to remove symptomatic patients, perform hand hygiene, and wear a procedural mask. Though not required, it is strongly recommended to also consider the use of eye protection. Collective adherence sets a bar that will maintain and grow the trust of the public, public health, and other health professions, thus providing supporting evidence for chiropractors to continue practising.

As we continue to respond and practise during the pandemic, the ACAC is grateful for the diligence and thoughtfulness that chiropractors continue to demonstrate. We are here to support you. If there are COVID topics that will benefit the profession that you believe the ACAC should cover, contact me.

Regards,