26 May 2020

Interview by Rohan Gujjuri.

Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread across the globe, causing an unprecedented health crisis. Countries have employed a variety of methods to contain and control the spread of COVID-19 and to limit the damage caused by the virus.

However, the efficacy of these strategies have varied, as has the resilience of global healthcare systems. A consequence of COVID-19 has therefore been a "second hit" of mental, social and healthcare morbidity that remains poorly defined, and which has been exacerbated by the economic consequences of this crisis. It is now imperative that we take the initiative and prepare ourselves to transition into the restoration phase of COVID-19; this will require innovative strategies for ensuring patients with colorectal disease remain safe and that they receive timely and high quality care .

There have been many initiatives created during this time to tackle the lack of data in providing guidance to healthcare professionals. James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon from Imperial College London gave a perspective on behalf of the PanSurg collaborative on what surgeons should anticipate as we move forward.

James said, "We are taking a systems approach when trying to model a return to normal service and we are considering four domains."

The PanSurg approach to post-COVID recovery covers:

More information regarding the PanSurg collaborative can be found on their website.