Dental student infected with coronavirus gave someone a root canal and his school told him to keep it a secret

A dental student at the University of Florida Dentistry School was diagnosed with coronavirus but was allowed to continue to treat patients under instructions from the school not to reveal his diagnosis, The Gainesville Sun reports.

In an email to the Sun, the student said he was "asked to hold off on a global communication by the college and UF" because it complicates how the university must respond as they are "still trying to get a handle on this moving target."

Speaking to Newsweek, a University of Florida health communications spokesperson Ken Garcia said that he couldn't offer more details since the university "is obligated to abide by HIPAA and FERPA laws pertaining to student and patient privacy," adding that "what individuals choose to share about their own situation is a personal matter and we respect that."

A second dental student who remains anonymous told the Sun that the coronavirus-positive student performed a root canal on March 9, which was the same the day he was tested.

"We have reassured our college faculty, staff and students that in general, should developments arise within our college, we would address them promptly and appropriately, with guidance and approval from epidemiology experts located at UF, UF Health, the UF Student Health Care Center and the Department of Health," Garcia told Newsweek. "We are well-equipped to deal with any potential cases of COVID-19 and have robust protocols for addressing infectious diseases of this nature."

Read the full report at The Gainesville Sun.