Role of nuclear cardiology in COVID-19

"We know that without a vaccine we're going to be dealing with this virus for a while," said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health, in an interview with Johannes Czernin.

We have to learn how to continue to provide health care as a health system with the presence of this emerging infectious disease."

Johnese Spisso, President,  UCLA Health

The interview is one of 5 new COVID-related articles and commentaries published in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM).

In the interview, a JNM "Discussions with Leaders" column, Spisso discusses how UCLA Health and the UCLA Hospital System have dealt with the pandemic and some of their ongoing initiatives in research, including a convalescent plasma study.

The organization has now begun dealing with reintroduction of care that had been postponed at the height of the crisis.

In "Guidance and Best Practices for Nuclear Cardiology Laboratories during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: An Information Statement from ASNC and SNMMI," Hicham Skali, MD, MSc, and colleagues address the practice of nuclear cardiology in the setting of the pandemic, reflecting perspectives of diverse practices across the United States and worldwide.

The statement focuses on how to adapt nuclear cardiology practice to COVID, including steps for protecting healthcare personnel and patients.

In "The Role of Nuclear Medicine for COVID-19 - Time to Act Now," Freimut Juengling and colleagues point out that nuclear medicine has much to offer in COVID research, including substantial experience in detecting inflammatory disease.

The authors suggest repurposing established nuclear medicine pharmaceuticals and developing new ones to target different aspects of the virus.

In "Yttrium-90 Radioembolization: Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Outbreak, Opportunity for Prime Time," Lawrence Han Hwee Quek and colleagues discuss the use of telemedicine in Singapore to bridge the gap among physicians with necessary medical expertise and ensure continuity of service.

"This outbreak may spark a wider adoption of tele-nuclear medicine in the post-COVID-19 era--not just in diagnosis and therapy but also in education for developing nations with limited access to formal training," the authors said.

In "Who Was the First Doctor to Report the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan, China?" Xixing Li and colleagues tell the story of Dr. Zhang Jixian, who is considered to be the first doctor to report the novel coronavirus before its outbreak.

JNM is fast-tracking COVID-related content and providing free access without subscription.