CU Medicine Brochure

STILL IN THE GAME: CU Medicine vs COVID-19 5 Protecting Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists Jason Chan lends a strong shoulder Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery spe- cialists are at the front line of defense against COVID-19. Unfortunately these ear, nose and throat doctors are also at great risk of the disease given the high viral loads in Asia. Dr. Jason Chan of the Department of Oto- rhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery was one of the first medics to recognize the risk to otolaryngologists. Drawing on the experience of SARS, Dr. Chan drew up the earliest protocols, ultimately implemented internationally, as to how to protect these medical professionals. Dr. Chan was interviewed by the leading journal in his field, providing advice on modifications to outpatient clinics such as creating separate gown-up and gown-down areas to prevent cross-contamination. He was also one of the first doctors to recommend temperature checks and travel histories for all new clinic patients. Since asymptomatic cases are common, he advocated for head and neck physicians to wear at a minimum an N95 respirator, gown, cap, eye protection, and gloves during most head and neck examinations. Dr. Chan noted that in order to mitigate the risk of patients cross-contaminating others following tracheostomy surgery, the tracheostomy should occur in a closed system identical to when a patient is on a mechanical ventilator.