Introduction
Our lives have changed significantly during 2020. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in many of us having lost loved ones; experiencing bouts of isolation, loneliness, and depression; and wondering about our personal and business-related financial obligations and future. The suddenness of our office closures and uncertainty/geographic inconsistencies in reopening has caused anxiety among our staff and patients. Physicians remain hopeful that the financial implications of the “lockdowns†and practice restrictions are neither long-lasting nor irreversible. This “crisis†does serve as a call-to-arms for implementation of emergency preparedness and response strategies to ready our practices for the future.
Challenges faced in the COVID-19 response included many having limited training in emergency preparedness and response, the lack of supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) that included masks and hand sanitizers, etc. Many practices reported being woefully unprepared for even the simplest of tasks and necessary procedures associated with the COVID-19 lockdown.
As office practice restrictions move toward reopening, many continue to be unprepared or uncertain as to how to orchestrate this stage of the process. Few emergency-scenario guidance documents for closure and reopening were available to advise practitioners prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recently published Project AesCert Guidance Supplement outlines a practical guide to safety considerations to support clinic preparedness for patients seeking nonsurgical aesthetic treatments and procedures following the return-to-work phase of COVID-19.1 In addition, the report on recommendations for cutaneous and aesthetic surgeries during COVID-19 provided helpful information on performing procedures including the proper use of hand sanitizer, wearing and removal of N95 masks, and other PPE precautions.2 However, there still exists a need to guide office practices on how they can proactively
Challenges faced in the COVID-19 response included many having limited training in emergency preparedness and response, the lack of supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) that included masks and hand sanitizers, etc. Many practices reported being woefully unprepared for even the simplest of tasks and necessary procedures associated with the COVID-19 lockdown.
As office practice restrictions move toward reopening, many continue to be unprepared or uncertain as to how to orchestrate this stage of the process. Few emergency-scenario guidance documents for closure and reopening were available to advise practitioners prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recently published Project AesCert Guidance Supplement outlines a practical guide to safety considerations to support clinic preparedness for patients seeking nonsurgical aesthetic treatments and procedures following the return-to-work phase of COVID-19.1 In addition, the report on recommendations for cutaneous and aesthetic surgeries during COVID-19 provided helpful information on performing procedures including the proper use of hand sanitizer, wearing and removal of N95 masks, and other PPE precautions.2 However, there still exists a need to guide office practices on how they can proactively
