Changes in the global impact of COVID-19 on nuclear medicine departments during 2020: an international follow-up survey.

AIM: As a follow-up to the international survey conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in April 2020, this survey aims to provide a situational snapshot of the COVID-19 impact on nuclear medicine services worldwide, 1 year later. The survey was designed to determine the impact of the pandemic at two specific time points: June and October 2020, and compare them to the previously collected data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based questionnaire, in the same format as the April 2020 survey was disseminated to nuclear medicine facilities worldwide. Survey data was collected using a secure software platform hosted by the IAEA; it was made available for 6 weeks, from November 23 to December 31, 2020. RESULTS: From 505 replies received from 96 countries, data was extracted from 355 questionnaires (of which 338 were fully completed). The responses came from centres across varying regions of the world and with heterogeneous income distributions. Regional differences and challenges across the world were identified and analysed. Globally, the volume of nuclear medicine procedures decreased by 73.3% in June 2020 and 56.9% in October 2020. Among the nuclear medicine procedures, oncological PET studies showed less of a decline in utilization compared to conventional nuclear medicine, particularly nuclear cardiology. The negative impact was also significantly less pronounced in high-income countries. A trend towards a gradual return to the pre-COVID-19 situation of the supply chains of radioisotopes, generators, and other essential materials was evident. CONCLUSION: The year 2020 has a significant decrease in nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as a result of the pandemic-related challenges. In June, the global decline recorded in the survey was greater than in October when the situation began to show improvement. However, the total number of procedures remained below those recorded in April 2020 and fell to less than half of the volumes normally carried out pre-pandemic.

Nuclear Medicine Departments in the Era of COVID-19.

From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic we, the nuclear medicine (NM) community, expediently mobilized to enable continuity of essential services to the best of our abilities. For example, we effectuated adapted guidelines for NM standard operating procedures (SOPs) and enacted heightened infection protection measures for staff, patients, and the public, alike. Challenges in radionuclide supply chains were identified and often met. NM procedural volumes declined globally and underwent restoration of varying degrees, contingent upon local contexts. Serial surveys have gauged and chronicled such geographical variance of the impact of COVID-19 on NM service delivery and, though it may be too early to fully understand the long-term consequences of reduced NM services, overall, we can certainly expect that this era adversely affected the management of many patients afflicted with non-communicable diseases. Today we are unquestionably better prepared to face unforeseen outbreaks, but a degree of uncertainty lingers. Which lessons learned will endure in the form of permanent NM pandemic preparedness procedures and protocols? In this spirit, the present manuscript presents a revision of prior recommendations issued mid-pandemic to NM centers, some of which may become mainstays in NM service delivery and implementation. Discussed herein are (1) comparative worldwide survey results of the measurable impact of COVID-19 on the practice of nuclear medicine (2) the definitions of a pandemic and its phases (3) relevant, recently developed or updated guidelines specific to nuclear medicine (4) incidental findings of COVID-19 on hybrid nuclear medicine studies performed primarily for oncologic indications and (5) how pertinent pedagogical methods for medical education, research, and development have been re-invented in a suddenly more virtual world. NM professionals shall indefinitely adopt many of the measures implemented during this pandemic, to enable continuity of essential services while preventing the spread of the virus. Which ones? Practices must remain ready for possible new peaks or variants of the roiling COVID-19 contagion and for the emergence of potential new pathogens that may incite future outbreaks or pandemics. Communications technologies are here to stay and will continue to be used in a broad spectrum of applications, from telemedicine to education, but how best? NM departments must align synergistically with these trends, considering what adaptations to a more virtual professional environment should not only last but be further innovated. The paper aims to provide recent history, analysis, and a springboard for continued constructive dialogue. To best navigate the future, NM must continue to learn from this crisis and must continue to bring new questions, evidence, ideas, and warranted systematic updates to the figurative table.

Impact of COVID-19 on Nuclear Medicine Departments in Africa and Latin America.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a survey to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nuclear medicine services worldwide at two specific time-points: June and October 2020. In this paper, we describe the impact of COVID-19 on nuclear medicine departments in Africa (19 countries, 41 centers) and Latin America (15 countries, 83 centers) obtained from the survey. Respectively in Africa and Latin America, the volume of nuclear medicine procedures decreased by 69% and 79% in June 2020 and 44% and 67% in October 2020. Among the nuclear medicine procedures, oncological PET studies showed less of a decline in utilization compared to conventional nuclear medicine studies. A gradual trend towards a return to the pre-COVID-19 status of the supply chains of radioisotopes, generators, and other essential materials was evident. Overall, in 2020, the pandemic-related challenges resulted in significant decrease in nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in Africa and Latin America. The impact was more pronounced in Latin America than in Africa. The current COVID-19 pandemic poses many challenges for the practice of nuclear medicine. If adequately prepared, departments can continue to deliver their essential services, while mitigating the risk for patients and staff. This requires adapting the SOPs, as quickly as possible, to meet the new requirements.

Global Impact of COVID-19 on Nuclear Medicine Departments: An International Survey in April 2020.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed significant challenges on health-care systems worldwide, whether in the preparation, response, or recovery phase of the pandemic. This has been primarily managed by dramatically reducing in- and outpatient services for other diseases and implementing infection prevention and control measures. The impact of the pandemic on nuclear medicine departments and their services has not yet been established. The aim of this online survey was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on nuclear medicine departments. Methods: A web-based questionnaire, made available from April 16 to May 3, 2020, was designed to determine the impact of the pandemic on in- and outpatient nuclear medicine departments, including the number of procedures, employee health, availability of radiotracers and other essential supplies, and availability of personal protective equipment. The survey also inquired about operational aspects and types of facilities as well as other challenges. Results: A total of 434 responses from 72 countries were registered and analyzed. Respondents reported an average decline of 54% in diagnostic procedures. PET/CT scans decreased by an average of 36%, whereas sentinel lymph-node procedures decreased by 45%, lung scans by 56%, bone scans by 60%, myocardial studies by 66%, and thyroid studies by 67%. Of all participating centers, 81% performed radionuclide therapies, and they reported a reduction of 45% on average in the last 4 wk, ranging from over 76% in Latin America and South East Asia to 16% in South Korea and Singapore. Survey results showed that 52% of participating sites limited their 99mTc/99Mo generator purchases, and 12% of them temporarily cancelled orders. Insufficient supplies of essential materials (radioisotopes, generators, and kits) were reported, especially for 99mTc/99Mo generators and 131I, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Conclusion: Both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures declined precipitously, with countries worldwide being affected by the pandemic to a similar degree. Countries that were in the postpeak phase of the pandemic when they responded to the survey, such as South Korea and Singapore, reported a less pronounced impact on nuclear medicine services; however, the overall results of the survey showed that nuclear medicine services worldwide had been significantly impacted. In relation to staff health, 15% of respondents experienced COVID-19 infections within their own departments.