SHORT REPORT  COVID-19 SECTION Open access

Italian Journal of Emergency Medicine 2021 August;10(2):85-8

DOI: 10.23736/S2532-1285.21.00063-X

Copyright © 2021 THE AUTHORS

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

language: English

Standardized approach to patients with suspected SARS-CoV2 infection at the Emergency Department: the Valcamonica model

Filippo MANELLI ¹ ✉, Andrea PATRONI ², Maria S. COTELLI ³, Mariachiara MICHELINI ¹, Eugenio ATZENI ¹, Michele BRIGANTI ¹, Graziella BONETTI ⁴

¹ Emergency Unit, ASST-Valcamonica, Esine, Brescia, Italy; ² Hospital Infections Committee, ASST-Valcamonica, Esine, Brescia, Italy; ³ Neurology Unit, ASST-Valcamonica, Esine, Brescia, Italy; ⁴ Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, ASST-Valcamonica, Esine, Brescia, Italy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which reported in an outbreak in 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, is caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus. Interestingly, the virus binds with angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 found in host cells, through the spike (S) protein that exists on its surface. We created a simple protocol for approaching patients with suspected SARS-CoV2 infection, in order to rationalize access to emergency unit, territorial management and hospitalization. We suggest that this model could be applied in other small territories similar to Valcamonica.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Italy; Hospital emergency service; Triage; Clinical protocols