OQUAWKA, Illinois — The first negative pressure room exclusively for dental use was recently installed in the Quad Cities region to protect patients against the coronavirus pandemic.
Negative pressure rooms are mostly seen in hospitals, but Eagle View Health in Oquawka, Illinois installed the first one just for dental use in our area.
"This room is a negative room which is what the CDC is requiring us to do for them to be able to work," said Orin Naramore, with Montefusco HVAC.
Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, Eagle View also installed air purifying vents, use personal protective equipment and sanitize all surfaces between patients.
Until recently, Dr. Na-Jee Harris has only been seeing emergency patients or patients by curbside.
"It just adds an extra barrier of protection," Harris said about the negative pressure room. "For us to make our entire clinic negative flow with air filters installed it just makes it really really great."
The clinic even took down photos and decor along the walls so pathogens have nothing to cling to, taking every possible precaution to resume normal practice.
"This room stays negative so if any contaminants get in here it just exits it out the building," said Naramore.
Giving their office the green light for patients. Even when COVID dies down, their office will be safely protected from future pathogens.
Leaders at Eagle View used a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to build the room that can fill chairs and ease staff worries.
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