The battle against Covid-19: the experience of an Egyptian radiology department in a university setting

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in marked and rapid changes to the standing policies of radiology departments globally. The aim of this review article is to describe the various processes implemented by a radiology department in an educational institution in a resource limited country during the COVID-19 crisis, giving insights into the adopted strategies in other institutions in developed countries. MAIN BODY: Our preparedness strategy was directed into five main domains: protection and wellness of radiology faculty and staff, radiological examinations and patients’ safety, education, research, and financial support. By implementing new strategies, we found that work reorganization through the use of home PACS provided safe and effective reporting service, low infection rate with zero mortality, and online lectures and theses defense were successful. Furthermore, governmental support and donations were helpful in facing financial challenges during the pandemic. A comprehensive literature review search for policies adopted by other radiology departments in the world was performed. The adopted strategies of various centers are generally similar to ours aiming for mitigating the spread of the virus, keeping good patients’ care, and maintaining the educational process. Few policy differences across institutions were found in the reporting strategy of COVID-19 pneumonia and according to the availability of resources. CONCLUSION: Covid-19 pandemic has opened the door for changes in the radiology department policies with renewed focus on educational, clinical, and scientific strategies. Documentation of the dynamic modifications of everyday practices and lessons learned are important as a reference for preparedness for possible second surge or future crisis.