COVID-19 pandemic: guidance for nuclear medicine departments.

In December 2019, a new type of coronavirus 2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19 disease, was extracted and identified from the lower respiratory tract samples of several patients in Wuhan, China [[3]]. The total number of confirmed cases, deaths associated with COVID-19, and affected countries and territories continues to grow; detailed statistics can be found at the WHO-Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic site [[5]] or the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre. All staff members should receive specific training in identifying COVID-19 symptoms, hygiene procedures, handling COVID-19 patients, disinfection procedures, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), among others [[10]]. Teleconsulting with patients prior to scheduling and the day before attending the nuclear medicine center must be established, in order to identify patients who may have COVID-19 symptoms. [Extracted from the article]