Otolaryngology and head and neck surgeries during pandemic era : how make them safer

Abstract

In the first quarter of 2020, we had many questions and few answers. We did not know how COVID-19 could impact our patients and our surgical teams. The speed at which scientific papers were published helped us to understand COVID-19 and how we can perform our surgical procedures. One important lesson is that it is imperative to follow universal pandemic precautions, including appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), because of the high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to aerosol and droplet exposure during examinations and procedures within the head and neck region and airway. We will address important topics that must be taken into account in the daily practice of otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons.