LARGE-SCALE SCREENING FOR SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN ENT PATIENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

IntroductionBased of the authors’ own material, the results of screening tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection were analysed in ENT patients scheduled for a diagnostic procedure or elective surgery in our hospital during 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and methodsThe study was carried out on 546 women, aged 18–94 years and 696 men, aged 18–87 years, who were scheduled for hospitalisation between 1 May 2020 and 28 February 2021. PCR and antigen tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus were performed in all patients. A negative result was a prerequisite for admission in order to undergo a diagnostic procedure or surgery.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 virus testing was performed in 1242 patients, 44% of whom were female and 56% male. In terms of age distribution, the peak for women was either 51–60 years (7.3%) or 61–70 years (10.5%), while for males the peak age was lower, at 18–30 years (10.5%) or 31–40 years (12.1%). In each month, a similar number of tests were performed, which was related to our contract with the Polish National Health Fund. To allow for a patient scheduled for a procedure being COVID-19 positive and unable to attend, the department asked us to qualify more patients for surgery in each week so as to keep up the standard number of surgical treatments. Our data showed that 1.5% of women and 2.5% of men became COVID-19 positive. The number of infected patients increased gradually from October 2020 to January 2021, related to an increase in morbidity.ConclusionsOf the 1242 patients, 236 (19.0%) women and 231 (18.6%) men were scheduled for a diagnostic procedure, while 310 (25.0%) women and 465 (37.4%) men were tested for elective surgery. Screening tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection in all these patients allowed us to disqualify patients from hospitalization if they had a positive result, thereby limiting the transmission of the virus while allowing us to fulfill our contract.