To the Editor:
I have read Chen et al.’s1 article “Perioperative Management of Patients Infected with the Novel Coronavirus: Recommendation from the Joint Task Force of the Chinese Society of Anesthesiology and the Chinese Association of Anesthesiologists” with great interest. After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, I believe that there will be a substantial need for management strategies focused on care of the patient previously infected with COVID-19. As of March 28, 2020, more than 1,000 patients required ICU level of care related to COVID; this number is certainly much higher at the time of this letter.2 There appears to be sparse data published up to this point regarding COVID-19 patients in the weeks and months after infection, particularly when intensive care is required. I believe that your team is uniquely suited to provide informed guidance on the perioperative care of these patients. Given the number of unanswered questions, any experiences that you have pertaining to this population after the acute setting may address the potential medical needs of this unique population as elective surgeries again resume in the United States and worldwide.
Competing Interests
The author is a paid scientific speaker for Merck Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, New Jersey.
