Radiology department strategies to protect radiologic technologists against COVID19: Experience from Wuhan

Abstract

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a huge threat to global public health security. In the absence of specific antiviral medicines to prevent or treat COVID-19, it is essential to detect the infected patients at an early stage and immediately isolate them from the healthy population. In view of the advantages of sensitivity and high spatial resolution, CT imaging has played an important role in screening and diagnosing of COVID-19 in China. The radiologic technologists performing CT scans for the infected patients become high-risk medical care personnel. It is critical for the radiology department to ensure the personal safety of radiologic technologists and avoid cross-infection. In this review article, we describe the systematic strategies to combat COVID-19 from the radiology department in Tongji hospital in Wuhan, P.R. China, including personnel arrangements, environmental modification, protection levels and configurations, radiological imaging (CT and radiography), and disinfection methods. It can provide guidance to other radiology departments faced with COVID-19 to reduce infection risk for radiologic technologists. 19 from the radiology department in Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, P.R.China. This includes personnel arrangements, environmental modification, protection levels and configurations, radiological imaging, and disinfection methods. It can provide guidance to other radiology departments faced with COVID-19 to reduce infection risk for radiologic technologists.

Deep learning analysis provides accurate COVID-19 diagnosis on chest computed tomography

“…Since the outbreak of corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) and its declaration by the WHO as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, various measures have been implemented worldwide in order to achieve containment of the disease [ [1] , [2] , [3] ]. One key factor has been proven to be the rapid and accurate identification of infected patients and their isolation among with social distancing for the general population [ 4 , 5 ].…”

Radiology Departments as COVID-19 entry-door might improve healthcare efficacy and efficiency, and Emergency Department safety

“…Potential reduction of infection spread with our pcHRRS might have been achieved by keeping ppCOVID-19 outpatients with respiratory infection isolated in a speci c route from the beginning [11,12]. But, not less important, a personalised agenda contributes to clear facilities [13], guaranteeing a safe environment both for patients and health workers [10,12,[14][15][16]. Risk contacts were signi cantly reduced through our pcHRRS by providing an extremely quick response in terms of speci c appointments, safer x-ray technology and oximetry for decision making, and expedited information transmission, always out of the ED.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on imaging in oncological trials

“…Ongoing adaptations could be the creation of safer pathways, dedicated to vulnerable patients within imaging units and hospitals and minimisation of potential exposure to pathogens through grouped clinical, laboratory and imaging visits. Flexible imaging protocols, adaptable strategies and response measures [26][27][28] to account for differences in national healthcare organisation and in line with the national severity of the crisis should enable the imaging community to deal with future events with minimal disruption and maximal efficiency so as to deliver time-dependent and time-critical studies within clinical trials.…”