Minimizing transmission of COVID-19 while delivering optimal cancer care in a National Cancer Centre

Continuing cancer care in a religious facility: A feasible alternative in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era?

“…The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched most healthcare systems to the point that if no adaptations are made, failure will most likely happen. While the overall goal in oncology is to continue cancer care in the most efficient but safe way, every effort has to be made to minimize, if not, obliterate spread of COVID-19 [ 14 ]. While it is a known fact that cancer and its treatment can cause or worsen immunosuppression which can complicate COVID-19 infection, there is a need to continue to give the cytotoxics as most cancers can become lethal if left unaddressed [ 15 ].…”

Prevention of healthcare-associated respiratory-viral infections amongst oncology inpatients: Infection prevention outcomes during coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic

“…Approximately 70 % of all cancer cases in Singapore are seen at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), with more than 9000 new cancer cases and over 1 million patient visits yearly. [ 5 ] Pre-pandemic, oncology inpatients were predominantly nursed in multi-bedded open-plan cohorted cubicles, with single rooms prioritized for patients with neutropenia. During the COVID-19 outbreak, universal masking was extended hospital-wide and additional infection-prevention measures were introduced, including screening of visitors for fever and respiratory symptoms and improved segregation of patients with respiratory symptoms.…”

“…During the COVID-19 outbreak, universal masking was extended hospital-wide and additional infection-prevention measures were introduced, including screening of visitors for fever and respiratory symptoms and improved segregation of patients with respiratory symptoms. [ 5 , 6 ] All HCWs monitored fever twice-daily; HCWs with fever or acute respiratory illness (ARI) underwent mandatory COVID-19 testing and were given 5 days of mandatory medical leave. [ 7 ] A one-visitor policy was in-place throughout the COVID-19 outbreak; from 7 th April 2020 to 2 nd June 2020, no visitors were allowed, during the “lockdown” period when all schools and workplaces were closed to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.…”

“…During the pandemic, despite managing ≥1600 cases of COVID-19 in our institution, there were no cases of healthcare-associated transmission of COVID-19 amongst oncology inpatients, and no cases of COVID-19 amongst NCCS staff. [ 5 , 9 ] Oncology services were safely continued with additional infection-prevention measures ( Figure 1 c ) that mitigated risk to staff and patients, maintaining patient confidence and allowing for continuity of cancer care during an ongoing pandemic. [ 10 ] Infection-prevention measures originally meant for COVID-19 containment have value in mitigating HA-RVI amongst cancer patients and should be continued in some form even after the pandemic is over.…”

Cancer patients and COVID-19: Mortality, serious complications, biomarkers, and ways forward

“…Global evidence of screening strategies abounds in the literature, with a study by Tang et al. describing high-, intermediate-, and low-risk categories to prevent nosocomial infection in Chinese hospitals using brief questionnaires [13] ; Italian hospitals categorizing cancer patients as “active status” or “follow-up” to better prioritize resources and reduce risk of virus contraction during non-urgent hospital visits [14] ; and a cancer center in Singapore detailing nosocomial infection prevention methods in their medical, radiation, imaging, and surgical oncology divisions of their cancer center [73] . Preliminary evidence from these studies indicates that screening and prevention methods have been highly successful in reducing viral spread.…”