Resumption of respiratory outpatient services in the COVID-19 era: Experience from Southern Italy

Claudia Crimi; Pietro Impellizzeri; Raffaele Campisi; Lucia Spicuzza; Carlo Vancheri; Nunzio Crimi

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2020.06.210

Resumption of respiratory outpatient services in the COVID-19 era: Experience from Southern Italy

Am J Infect Control. 2020 Sep;48(9):1087-1089. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.06.210. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Authors

Claudia Crimi¹, Pietro Impellizzeri², Raffaele Campisi³, Lucia Spicuzza², Carlo Vancheri², Nunzio Crimi²

Affiliations

¹ Respiratory Medicine Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele," Catania, Italy. Electronic address: dott.claudiacrimi@gmail.com.
² Respiratory Medicine Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele," Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
³ Respiratory Medicine Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele," Catania, Italy.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic turned the entire health-care system organization upside-down, suspending elective activities and outpatient services. In Italy, we are entering a second phase of the pandemic and several strategies have been developed to "re-open" the country, some businesses, and also health care outpatient activities. This manuscript describes the experience of a Southern Italy Respiratory Unit for safely resuming outpatient respiratory services and preventing COVID-19 transmission.

Keywords: Novel coronavirus 2019; Outpatient clinic; Pulmonary function test; Safety.

MeSH terms

Ambulatory Care / methods*
Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
Coronavirus Infections / transmission
Disease Transmission, Infectious / prevention & control*
Humans
Italy
Pandemics / prevention & control*
Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
Respiratory Function Tests / methods
Respiratory Therapy / methods*
SARS-CoV-2