New safety measure for the endoscopic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: New STEP.

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become prevalent worldwide. As of July 2020, more than 10 million persons were reported to be infected worldwide, and the number of deaths exceeded 500,000. Infection of medical staff continues to be a major problem.1 Endoscopic procedures in particular pose risk of droplet and aerosol infection, and adequate infection control is therefore essential. Many organizations have proposed measures for infection control.2-4 Current infection control protocol consists of the following 3 steps: (1) before the procedure—disinfecting the hands of medical staff before endoscopic examination; (2) during the procedure—wearing appropriate personal protective equipment; and (3) after the procedure—washing the endoscope room and equipment and disinfecting the hands of medical staff.