COVID-19 and the Radiology Department: Tips to Keep Everyone Safe
By now everyone knows about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia that emerged in December, 2019. Since then, this highly contagious virus has been spreading worldwide, with a rapid rise in the number of deaths. We’ve seen a variety of chest imaging features being reported, which are similar to those found in other types of coronavirus syndromes.
As with any respiratory-attacking virus, chest x-ray imaging is critical in assessing severity and disease progression of the infection. The increased usage of CT and chest portable x-ray imaging has pushed many radiology departments beyond capacity to keep up with the patients presenting with symptoms of COVID-19. During this intense time while healthcare workers struggle to diagnose and treat this novel coronavirus, implementation of a robust plan in the radiology department is crucial to prevent further transmission of the virus to patients and department staff members.
We all know how important quality, affordable portable x-ray systems are for patient health and treatment. Here in the US it can be easy to take for granted the availability of portable and mobile x-ray devices since they can be found almost anywhere. Urgent care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, sports stadiums, cruise ships, veterinarians and of course hospitals. Unfortunately, not every country has access to the same level of technology and imaging solutions.
Aging Population Drives Increased Demand for Portable X-Ray Machines
Demand for radiology via digital x-ray and portable x-ray will continue to increase due to ageing population, and growing prevalence of chronic disease and cancer survivors.
In September 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that older people are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. By 2034, there will be 77.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.5 million under the age of 18. The median age of the U.S. population is expected to grow from age 38 today to age 43 by 2060.
