How Are We Facing It? Dispatches From Pathology Residents in a COVID-19 Lombardy Hospital

Abstract

At the end of February, the Italian National Health Service reported a hot spot of Coronavirus disease in the Lombardy region. COVID-19 is a highly pathogenic viral infection which poses some challenges for healthcare workers. Indeed, Pathology Departments are involved in reorganizing samples' management, from their delivery until their processing, according to National and WHO guidelines. Since Lombardy has been declared COVID-19 hot spot, due to decreasing number of surgical procedures, our Department adopted a policy to reduce personnel, allowing pathologists to work remotely during the outbreak. Lacking clear information about viral load on tissue samples, all human specimens must be considered potentially infectious, as well as patients during post-mortem examinations, and clinical information on COVID-19 status is mandatory. It is also important that Pathology staff receive an adequate training, and adherence to rules should be always accompanied by common sense.

Clinical and molecular practice of European thoracic pathology laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. The past and the near future

“…One of the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis was the absolute necessity to develop virtual educational programs, notably for residents and junior pathologists (digital pathology training, virtual courses, webinars, etc.). 28 , 29 , 30 However, the results of the present survey showed that only around 25% of the laboratories set up these programs, highlighting the urgent need to become aware of the utility of these different tools. In addition, some information, in particular concerning the biosafety procedures to follow in a pathology laboratory should be established through virtual training, and this was the case in the present study for no more than 25% of the laboratories.…”

Gestão estratégica de pessoas no teletrabalho durante a pandemia da COVID-19

“…Permitiu-se então que os patologistas trabalhassem de forma remota durante a pandemia. A equipe de patologia recebeu um treinamento específico para aderência às novas normas, para que remodelassem sua rotina diária, mantivessem distâncias seguras, com isso a vida diária desses profissionais mudou drasticamente 20 .…”

“…Como consequência, foi implementada a patologia digital, que anteriormente era usada apenas para fins de pesquisa e a partir da pandemia foi introduzida para treinamento de residentes em histopatologia, aulas virtuais de citologia, quadros de tumores multidisciplinares e reuniões interinstitucionais 20 .…”

“…Os médicos revisaram imagens pelo monitor, fazendo anotações e obtendo fotos quando necessário. Além disso, o compartilhamento de links, tabelas e gráficos nos diálogos entre as equipes foi simples e houve fácil adaptação 20 .…”

“…Nota-se que o isolamento do teletrabalhador pode levar a quadros de adoecimentos de natureza mental 20 , levando em consideração que algumas pessoas têm maiores propensões a desenvolverem o estresse, a ansiedade, a depressão e a síndrome deburnout, podendo gerar assim, afastamentos e acidentes de trabalhos. Diante do exposto, é de extrema importância a responsabilidade e dever do empregador em observar a compatibilidade do teletrabalhador com esse tipo de modalidade de trabalho 19 .…”