Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Role of Cardiac Sonographers

Abstract

New York City was an epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, leading to an unprecedented burden on cardiac imaging.1 Cardiac sonographers bear increased infectious risk from close patient contact when performing transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs). The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) issued recommendations at the beginning of the pandemic to reduce viral transmission risk and provide guidance in the absence of disease-specific data.2,3 Echocardiography labs across the country adapted.