Ralli Massimo, Greco Antonio, de Vincentiis Marco
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, 9311Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
Ear Nose Throat J. 2020 Nov;99(9):565-566. doi: 10.1177/0145561320923893. Epub 2020 Apr 29.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic during the first months of 2020 is causing profound changes in worldwide health care systems, resulting in a major reduction of surgical interventions and routine non-urgent outpatient diagnostic procedures. The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, one of the most affected countries in Europe, is having severe effects on the otolaryngology medical and surgical activities. The main changes are represented by the postponement of outpatient visits and scheduled surgery, while the only guaranteed service is reserved to diagnostics and surgery for oncology and urgent patients. In these cases, given the sites of action typical of the otolaryngology practice, physicians and nurses are exposed to a high risk of contagion through virus aerosol transmission. Furthermore, as the current measures of lockdown continue, it will be difficult to perform scheduled and new diagnostic assessments, medical treatments and surgical procedures in a timely manner favoring the risk of diagnostic and therapeutic delays with severe impact on patients' health.
2020年最初几个月的2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行正在给全球医疗保健系统带来深刻变化，导致外科手术干预和常规非紧急门诊诊断程序大幅减少。在欧洲受影响最严重的国家之一意大利，因COVID-19大流行而实施的封锁正在对耳鼻喉科的医疗和外科活动产生严重影响。主要变化表现为门诊就诊和预定手术的推迟，而唯一有保障的服务留给肿瘤学患者和急症患者的诊断及手术。在这些情况下，鉴于耳鼻喉科实践中典型的作用部位，医生和护士面临通过病毒气溶胶传播而被感染的高风险。此外，随着当前封锁措施的持续，将难以及时进行预定的和新的诊断评估、药物治疗及外科手术，这增加了诊断和治疗延迟的风险，对患者健康产生严重影响。
