초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Background/Aims: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has affected the gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopyunits globally owing to the risk of transmission. We present our data on the use of rapid antigen test (RAT) as a screening tool priorto endoscopy to prevent the transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent any GI endoscopic procedure from July 2020 to October2020 at a tertiary referral center in New Delhi, India. All patients underwent screening for COVID-19 using RAT, and endoscopywas performed only when the RAT was negative. The data are presented as numbers and percentages. Results: A total of 3,002 endoscopic procedures were performed during the study period. Only one endoscopic procedure wasperformed in a COVID-19 positive patient. A total of 53 healthcare workers were involved in conducting these procedures. Only2 healthcare workers (3.8%) were diagnosed COVID-19 positive, presumably due to community-acquired infection, during thisperiod. Conclusions: The COVID-19 RAT is easily usable as a simple screening tool prior to GI endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
