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Lu R, Zhao X, Li J Genomic characterization and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding. The Lancet. 2020; 395:(10224)565-574 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30251-8

World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a ‘Pandemic’ here's what that means. http://tinyurl.com/n7bwil8b (accessed 3 February 2021)

Qian GQ, Yang NB, Ding F Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 91 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China: a retrospective, multi-center case series. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine. 2020; 113:(7)474-481 https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa089

World Health Organization. Weekly epidemiological update – 2 February 2021. https://tinyurl.com/15rk15ig (accessed 3 February 2021)

How Italy spiraled from a perfectly healthy country to near collapse in 24 days as the coronavirus took hold. http://tinyurl.com/1q4be5sz (accessed 3 February 2021)

Ranney ML, Griffeth V, Jha AK. Critical supply shortages – the need for ventilators and personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382:(18) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2006141

New York State. New York State on PAUSE. http://tinyurl.com/47u8thdl (accessed 3 February 2021)

California Department of Public Health. COVID-19 updates. http://tinyurl.com/yrlqtznd (accessed 3 February 2021)

American College of Surgeons. COVID-19: Recommendations for management of elective surgical procedures. http://tinyurl.com/ylh73gsf (accessed 3 February 2021)

U.S. advises hospitals to limit ‘non-essential’ elective care. http://tinyurl.com/4n8z8vwz (accessed 3 February 2021)

Blanchette V, Brousseau-Foley M, Cloutier L. Effect of contact with podiatry in a team approach context on diabetic foot ulcer and lower extremity amputation: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Foot Ankle Res. 2020; 13:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-020-0380-8

Toe and flow: essential components and structure of the amputation prevention team. 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20804929

Rogers LC, Lavery LA, Joseph WS, Armstrong DG. All feet on deck – the role of podiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic: preventing hospitalization in an overburdened healthcare system, reducing amputation and death in people with diabetes. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2020; https://doi.org/10.7547/20-051

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Leg ulcers

Wound care during the covid-19 pandemic: improving outcomes through the integration of telemedicine

02 February 2021
COVID-19 Update
02 February 2021
Volume 5 · Issue 1

Abstract

COVID-19 is highly contagious and its rapid spread burdens the healthcare system. As the number of confirmed cases goes up, the shortage of medical resources has become a challenge. To avoid the collapse of the healthcare system during the fight with COVID-19, all healthcare workers, including wound care practitioners, should adapt to new roles and use any appropriate methods available to slow the spread of the virus. Integrating telemedicine into wound care during the outbreak helps maintain social distancing, preserve personal protective equipment and medical resources, and eliminate unnecessary exposure for both vulnerable patients and high-risk healthcare workers.

At the end of 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan, China.1,2 WHO announced the disease as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which rapidly progressed from a public health emergency of international concern to a pandemic event.3

COVID-19 is highly contagious and spreads through human-to-human transmission with a relatively long incubation period (median time of six days).4 During the incubation period, the carriers are asymptomatic and can infect other people without knowing it.4 Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been over 102.1 million reported cases of COVID-19 and over 2.2 million deaths globally.5

This pandemic is a global threat which puts tremendous stress on healthcare systems. Italy is facing a shortage of PPE and healthcare workers, a lack of intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators, and doctors and nurses have been instructed to triage patients for ICU treatments based on chances of survival.6 Even in the US, palliative care liberalisation is occurring to make ICU beds more available. Other regions have seen similar issues as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase worldwide.

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coronavirus
COVID-19
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severe acute respiratory syndrome
telemedicine
wound
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