How to risk-stratify elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Excerpt

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic, which classifies the outbreak as an international emergency [1]. At the time of drafting this editorial, COVID-19 has swept through more than 115 countries and infected over 200,000 people around the globe [2‐4]. More than 7000 individuals have died during the early phase of the pandemic, implying a high estimated case-fatality rate of 3.5% [2‐4]. The rapidly spreading outbreak imposes an unprecedented burden on the effectiveness and sustainability of our healthcare system. Acute challenges include the exponential increase in emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient admission volumes, in conjunction with the impending risk of health care workforce shortage due to viral exposure, respiratory illness, and logistical issues due to the widespread closure of school systems [5]. Subsequent to the WHO declaration, the United States Surgeon General proclaimed a formal advisory to cancel elective surgeries at hospitals due to the concern that elective procedures may contribute to the spreading of the coronavirus within facilities and use up medical resources needed to manage a potential surge of coronavirus cases [6]. The announcement escalated to a nationwide debate regarding the safety and feasibility of continuing to perform elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic [7, 8]. Many health care professionals erroneously interpreted the Surgeon General’s recommendation as a “blanket directive” to cancel all elective procedures in the Country [9]. This notion was vehemently challenged in an open letter to the Surgeon General on behalf of United States hospitals [10]. The letter outlined a significant concern that the recommendation could be “interpreted as recommending that hospitals immediately stop performing elective surgeries without clear agreement on how we classify various levels of necessary care “[10]. Notably, the Surgeon General’s recommendation was based on a preceding statement by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) with a call to prioritize appropriate resource allocation during the coronavirus pandemic as it relates to elective invasive procedures. …