One precaution that Emory University School in Atlanta has taken is to clean CT scanners when a patient with suspected signs of the virus undergoes scanning on one. This, however, puts CT scanners out of commission for hours. In addition, the institute is deploying methods to limit exposure to patients and staff members, without significantly disrupting workflow and delivery of care.

"Quarantine of clinical radiologists, staff, and trainees following travel to Level 3 countries and/or following exposure to patients with proven or suspected COVID-19 have the potential to quickly overburden our ability to adequately staff critical services," wrote Dr. Carolyn C. Meltzer, of Emory University School of Medicine in the panel research article. "We are working to rapidly obtain and deploy additional home workstations so that asymptomatic radiologists can work from home. While this approach does not help procedural services, it can decompress diagnostic interpretations and provide back up for surge capacity."


The recommendations were published in Radiology.

Panel participants were unable to comment at this time.

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