Sir, we write in regard to Dr Cohen's suggestion of treating all family members in a single dental session (BDJ 2020; 229: 6). This proposes that household transmission is the main concern in this process, however, studies found that secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2 developed in only about 16.3% of household contacts.1Conversely, community and nosocomial infection impose a higher risk for family members to get infected. Therefore, such recommendations may be misleading and may worsen the pandemic by going against infection control and safety guidelines.

By the middle of April 2020, more than 9,000 healthcare workers in the United States had been infected by SARS-CoV-2, accounting for 19% of the total number of patients reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) thus implying that there is a significant knowledge gap regarding infection control as well as the practice among dentists and doctors. Considering the highly infectious nature of the current pandemic and its modes of transmission which are not yet fully understood, especially in the prodromal and convalescent stages, dental healthcare workers must strictly follow biosafety protocols and specific COVID-19 protective measures.