An especial transition phase of hospitals: the adaptation of hospital operations to the development of COVID-19 and poli
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(2020) 25:55
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Open Access
An especial transition phase of hospitals: the adaptation of hospital operations to the development of COVID-19 and policy adjustments Xiucheng Liu1,2†, Wei Zhuang3†, Xiaoyu Quan1†, Yeqing Zhou1†, Hao Qin1, Chenghang Zou4 and Hao Zhang1,2*
Abstract The ongoing pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) remains a significant issue for global health, economics, and society. In order to balance epidemic control and economic recovery, many countries have successively announced the gradual relaxation of some lockdown restrictions. Hospitals and medical staff constitute the backbone in this war against COVID-19. In response to this serious situation, many hospitals went into emergency and impaired healthcare access to patients with conditions other than COVID-19. Therefore, gradually promoting hospital operations and functions back to the new normal is important, especially when this outbreak has been effectively controlled. In this study, we introduce existing and potential problems that could seriously affect people’s health. Additionally, we propose that an especial transition phase between the emergency and regular modes of hospitals can be well adapted to the current situation. Keywords: COVID-19, Hospital, Transition phase, New normal
Background On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be a pandemic of international concern. To date, it has swept into over 200 countries and resulted in over 25 million cases of infection and more than 840,000 deaths. As Europe and North America have become the epicenters of the COVID-19, several countries continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic with unprecedented rigor [1]. There is little doubt that the subsequent step after the effective control of the outbreak is to * Correspondence: [email protected] † Xiucheng Liu, Wei Zhuang, Xiaoyu Quan and Yeqing Zhou contributed equally to this work. 1 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221006, Jiangsu, China 2 Thoracic Surgery Laboratory, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221006, Jiangsu Province, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
implement measures to bring the society to a new normal. Since March, these measures and efforts are being implemented across China including the Hubei province, the hardest-hit region. Considering, the enormous economic losses, and an increase in unemployment, Germany, Austria, and Italy, among other countries, announced the lifting of some lockdown restrictions in early May 2020. As important as it is to restart the economy, it is equally important to gradually drive hospital operations from the emergency to regular mode once the outbreak has been effectively controlled. Therefore, it is an ongoing challenge to balance the normalization of hospital operations and the containment protocols to keep COVID-19 in check. The emergency mode of public hospitals
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