Radiotherapy and COVID-19-everything under control or just the start of a long story?


Radiotherapy and COVID-19-everything under control or just the start of a long story?

Nestle, U.; Krause, M.

This pandemic is an imposition! We all are exhausted by repeated discussions on the current situation. Would like to be “back to normal”—whatever that might be—very soon.
Unfortunately, this is still a dream and we are in the middle of the corona reality. Almost forgotten: the initial panic that radiooncology could no longer operate according to law under pandemic conditions was quickly and effectively countered by an unprecedented concerted response from the authorities.
Then we had all these practical questions: How to deal with potentially limited personnel resources? How to treat potentially infected patients in routine care? To this end, at a very early stage, the German Society for Radiooncology (DEGRO), together with the Working Group for Radiooncology (ARO) of the German Cancer Society and the National Association of German Radiotherapists (BVDST), compiled two helpful statements and recommendations [1–3].
At a previously unimagined speed, we then dealt with hygiene concepts, made friends with hypofractionation, optimized our workflow, discussed home office solutions, formed staff groups, and reorganized the aftercare outpatient clinics. In their interesting survey in this issue, Matuschek et al. report on how well all this has worked out [4]. Overall, in Germany, only a relatively small number of COVID-positive patients have had to be treated by radiotherapy so far. We will see how the situation will develop during the remainder of this year. At least we are very well prepared—both with concepts and organizational skills—for higher infection rates.

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-32151
Publ.-Id: 32151