Brought to you by an alliance of sonography organizations.
Welcome. The COVID-19 information links and resources within these pages were curated for you by an alliance of sonography organizations – AIUM, ARDMS, ASE, IAC, JRC-CVT, JRC-DMS, SDMS and SVU.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
– Infection Prevention for Healthcare Workers
– How to Prepare and Take Action for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings
– Information for Healthcare Professionals
– Travel Information
– Information for Laboratories
– FAQs About Personal Protective Equipment
– Communication Resources
– Under Crisis Capacity Strategies
– Sign up for the CDC newsletter to receive weekly emails about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
– Use Personal Protective Equipment when caring for Patients with Confirmed or Suspected COVID
World Health Organization (WHO)
Johns Hopkins University
NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP)
American Society of Echocardiography
– ASE Statement on Protection of Patients and Echocardiography Service Providers During the COVID-19 Outbreak
– Specific Considerations for Sonographers When Performing Echocardiograms During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
– Specific Considerations for Pediatric, Fetal, and Congenital Heart Disease Patients and Echocardiography Service Providers During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
– Specific Considerations for the Protection of Patients and Echocardiography Service Providers When Performing Perioperative or Periprocedural Transesophageal Echocardiography During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
– ASE Statement on Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pandemic
– ASE COVID-19 Resources
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Webinars
– COVID-19 Preparedness for Echo Labs: Insights from the Frontlines (ASE)
– COVID-19 Pandemic: Your Questions Answered (ASE)
– Pediatric, Fetal, and Congenital Heart Disease Statement on COVID-19
– ASE Recommendations for Echo Labs Participating in Cardiac POCUS and Critical Care Echo Training – How Does POCUS Play a Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic (ASE)
– COVID-19 Preparedness for Nuclear Cardiology Labs: Insights from the US, China and Singapore (ASNC)
– International Webinar on Ultrasound Applications for the COVID-19 Pandemics
– AIUM Webinar: COVID-19 Transducer Cleaning and Personal Protective Equipment
– Guidelines for the Safe Operation of Vascular Labs (SVU – SVS)
Letters to Assist You in Advocating for PPEs and Practice Changes
The Alliance stands with the Registrant and sonography community in calling for PPEs and limiting elective sonography studies. To help you advocate for immediate change at your practice setting, please download and share the following letters with your employer, healthcare administrators and others.
– AIUM Letter
– ARDMS Letter
– SDMS Letter
– Other Healthcare Organizations (have been sent to government officials, regulatory bodies and the medical community)
Featured Articles
– WHO: Rights, Roles & Responsibilities of Health Workers, Including Key Considerations for Occupational Safety
– Infection Control – Fundamentals
– Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment
– 73 hospital leaders in 10 states hit hardest by COVID-19 offer advice to colleagues: If you do nothing else, do this
– In Pursuit of PPE
– Pushing on all cylinders to keep our health care workforce safe (AHA)
– Radiology department strategies to protect radiologic technologists against COVID19: Experience from Wuhan
Take Simple Precautions
The above are only a few of the resources that we utilize to monitor the ongoing situation. Reduce your chances of being infected and/or spreading COVID-19 by taking these simple precautions as outlined by the CDC:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going the bathroom; before eating; and blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
- Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or bent elbow and dispose of the tissue immediately.
- Maintain at least 1-meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.
- Only use a mask if you have symptoms of COVID-19. Masks do not help against becoming infected, only against the spreading of the disease, and should be saved for patients who have been infected and the health care providers treating them.
Advocacy Information
– Top Five things U.S. Echocardiographers Should Know About the New Teleheath Rule
– Trump Administration Makes Sweeping Regulatory Changes to Help U.S. Health Care System Address COVID-19 Patient Surge (March 31, 2020)
– Billing for Professional Telehealth Services During the Public Health Emergency (March 31, 2020)
– New Specimen Collection Codes for Laboratories Billing for COVID-19 Testing (March 31, 2020)
– Letter to President Trump from AMA (March 30, 2020)
– Trump Administration Provides Financial Relief for Medicare Providers (March, 28, 2020)
– Fact Sheet: Expansion of the Accelerated and Advance Payments Program for Providers and Suppliers During COVID-19 Emergency
– ASE/AMA Coalition letter to Congress Seek Needed Assistance During COVID-19 (March 25, 2020)
– COVID-19: A Weekly Advocacy News Summary from ASE (March 30, 2020)
– COVID-19: A Weekly Advocacy News Summary from ASE (March 24, 2020)
Featured Resources
– Taking Care of Mental Health During COVID-19
– Managing Healthcare Workers’ Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak
– Managing the Emotional Ups and Downs of COVID-19 for the Frontline (video)
– Strategies to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians During the COVID-19 Outbreak
– Dealing with Stress, Anxiety, and Grief during COVID-19
– Mental Health Needs of Health Care Workers Providing Frontline COVID-19 Care
– Understanding and Addressing Sources of Anxiety Among Health Care Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
– Mental Health Care for Frontline Heroes (POCUS Certification Academy)
– Helpful tips and reminders for taking care of yourself – infographic (POCUS Certification Academy)
– Living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty
– The 8 Key Elements of Resilience – A roadmap for developing mental resilience skills
– A Guide to Understanding and Coping with Compassion Fatigue
Educational Resources
– COVID-19 Educational Resources & Opportunities (compiled by ACCME)
– Quick Guide on COVID-19 Protections — Patient and Ultrasound Provider Protection
– Quick Guide on COVID-19 Protections — Ultrasound Transducers, Equipment, and Gel
– Is there a role for lung ultrasound during the COVID-19 pandemic? a clinical letter in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (JUM)
– Proposal for international standardization of the use of lung ultrasound for COVID-19 patients; a simple, quantitative, reproducible method a technical innovation in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (JUM)
Cleaning Recommendations from Ultrasound Manufacturers
Canon Medical Systems
– Guidelines for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of transducers -PDF version of latest disinfection guidelines for all Canon transducers
– Cleaning Guidelines -Link to page with cleaning guidelines and other resources; will be updated with guidelines specific to COVID-19 soon
– Canon Medical COVID-19 website
GE Healthcare
– Transducer Care site – https://www.gehealthcare.com/products/ultrasound/ultrasound-transducers – provides approved cleaners, disinfectants, and gels for all the various probes
– GE system cleaning site: https://cleaning.gehealthcare.com/ – provides cleaning instructions and details for the systems overall
– GE Healthcare COVID-19 Resources website
– GE Healthcare COVID-19 Cleaning & Disinfection FAQs
Hitachi Healthcare
Philips
Siemens Healthineers
– Z6Ms True Volume Transesophageal Transducer Care Guide – A presentation that goes into detail on the care and cleaning of Siemens’ TEE transducers
– Z6Ms on the ACUSON SC2000 Ultrasound System – A flier for an online tutorial course through Siemens’ PEPconnect Customer Online Training site
– Transesophageal Transducer Cleaning and Care Guide – A quick-reference poster on care and cleaning of Siemens’ TEE transducers
Featured Articles
– Enforcement Policy for Imaging Systems During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency
– Master Question List for COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2) – updated weekly
– Caring for our caregivers during COVID-19 – Resources for health care leadership
– Managing Fatigue During Times of Crisis: Guidance for Nurses, Managers, and Other Healthcare Workers
– 70 vaccines in progress; antibody testing begins — 7 COVID-19 updates
– How to boost your immune system (Harvard Health)
– Bringing Home Something Deadly: How Health Workers Are Isolating From Their Families (WBUR – NPR)
– CDC: Clinician On-Call Center is a 24-hour hotline with trained CDC clinicians standing by to answer COVID-19 questions from healthcare personnel on a wide range of topics.
– How to stay fit and healthy during coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
Disclaimer: The information, views and opinions expressed within this COVID-19 Clearinghouse website do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, missions or governing bylaws of the individual organizations of this informal sonography alliance. This website is for informational purposes only, does not provide medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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