Ibekwe Titus Sunday, Fasunla Ayotunde James
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Abuja and University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University College Hospital and University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Niger Med J. 2020 May-Jun;61(3):111-113. doi: 10.4103/nmj.NMJ_201_20. Epub 2020 Jul 4.
Coronavirus-19 pandemic has impacted significantly on global social, economic, financial, and health institutions. Otolaryngologic (ORL) practice has also been affected by the scourge with the need for modification of practice. The risks of contracting COVID-19 with the regular "patient-doctor physical contact" method of management of cases in ORL practice are high, given the routine examination of nose and throat. The desirability of telemedicine in the handling of most patients is appealing despite the limitations in the technology, especially in the developing countries like Africa. Therefore, otorhinolaryngologists in Sub-Saharan Africa, within limits of applicability, should leverage on telemedicine in their clinical practice during this COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. COVID-19, being a disease of second chance, has provided us with the opportunity to harness this technologically driven method of supportive care in our clime.
新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情对全球社会、经济、金融和卫生机构产生了重大影响。耳鼻咽喉科（ORL）的业务也受到了这一灾难的影响，需要进行业务调整。鉴于耳鼻咽喉科业务中对鼻和喉的常规检查，采用常规的“医患身体接触”方式管理病例感染新冠病毒的风险很高。尽管技术存在局限性，但远程医疗在处理大多数患者方面的可取性很有吸引力，尤其是在非洲等发展中国家。因此，在撒哈拉以南非洲，在适用范围内，耳鼻咽喉科医生在此次新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间及之后的临床实践中应利用远程医疗。新型冠状病毒肺炎作为一种有机会治愈的疾病，为我们提供了在我们所在地区利用这种技术驱动的支持性护理方法的机会。
