As Nuclear Medicine Departments worldwide scramble to modify routine operations and establish standard operating procedures to minimize risks of exposure to their patients, staff, and the public, the IAEA is exerting a concerted effort to support Member States tackle the current COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing knowledge among peers during this pandemic has enriched our understanding and continues to guide us to better support the nuclear medicine community.

We would like to summarize some of the initiatives undertaken by the Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section for your perusal.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance for Nuclear Medicine Departments
Published as an Editorial in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, this guidance document provides recommendations tailored to help nuclear medicine departments adapt their standard operating procedures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections among patients, staff and the public. The guidance is based on a typical patient’s journey through the department.

It is freely accessible HERE

Two webinars have been broadcasted:

1. COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges for Nuclear Medicine Departments.
On 25 March 2020, this session was devoted to identifying areas of concern and providing a platform for the exchange of experts’ opinions from around the globe. The recording is available on the Human Health Campus, an IAEA educational resources website.

2. COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance for Nuclear Medicine Departments.
On 16 March 2020, this follow-up webinar was based on the guidance document published in the Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging (see above).  This session provided detailed advice on the necessary steps required to continue providing essential nuclear medicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recorded version of the webinar is also available on the Human Health Campus.

1. In cooperation with our colleagues from Germany, the IAEA is conducting a survey to assess the impact that the current COVID-19 crisis is having on nuclear medicine departments. We encourage you to click on the button below and help us by answering some questions.

To support medical staff and make them aware of evidence-based publications during this health crisis, we have compiled a list of published peer-reviewed studies pertaining to Radiation Medicine. These can also be found on the Human Health Campus.