ABSTRACT
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care authorities adopted measures to reduce its spread. In 2020, the incidences of non-COVID-19 acute respiratory illnesses and acute exacerbations of chronic airway diseases were significantly reduced, which may be attributed to the effect of infection control measures implemented for COVID-19 prevention. Aim(s): Obtaining expert opinion whether infection control measures may be extended to prevent acute respiratory illnesses when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Method(s): An online survey was distributed among respiratory professionals, asking whether they would recommend continued measures to reduce respiratory virus transmission post COVID-19 pandemic. Result(s): Between July - October 2021, 320 respiratory professionals from 65 countries answered the survey. Over 90% of respondents replied that they would recommend continuation of hand sanitizing and wearing face masks in gh-risk situations, but significantly less would recommend social isolation, even in people with chronic respiratory conditions (Figure 1:*p<0.0001 for comparison of social isolation to hand sanitizing and face masks). Conclusion(s): Respiratory professionals support the continuing use of protective measures for respiratory patients following the COVID-19 pandemic. The optimal use of these measures should be considered in clinical guidelines.