Managing the pandemic from the radiology department's point of view

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing our entire society to adopt numerous changes, at least until an effective treatment and/or vaccine becomes widely available. Because COVID-19 is a new disease that has required us to make complex decisions based on scant evidence, the pandemic is having an enormous impact on our health system. Radiology departments play a fundamental role in the management of COVID-19, both in the diagnosis of the disease and in the posterior management of patients. To ensure the safety of patients and healthcare professionals, it is essential to understand the infection so that safe circuits can be implemented. This article summarizes the pathophysiology of COVID-19 infection and explains the measures that radiology departments need to adopt during the pandemic.

Keywords: Coronavirus infection; Gestión; Infección por coronavirus; Patient safety; Practice management; Seguridad del paciente.