Table 5 General information regarding COVID-19 epidemiology and timing of the main measures in Belgium and at Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc (CUSL)
COVID-19 epidemiology in Belgium | |
|---|---|
February 3, 2020 | 1st proven case (repatriation from Wuhan, China) |
February 28, 2020 | 1st proven case in a Belgian resident |
April 6, 2020 | Peak of the epidemic (6012 patients hospitalized) |
July 1, 2020 | Results of the sero-epidemiology study from Antwerp Hospital: antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 detected in 5.5% of the population, based on 2960 samples (Van Damme P et al., media communication, July 1, 2020) |
COVID-19 epidemiology in CUSL | |
 February 18, 2020 | 1st case hospitalized |
 April 2, 2020 | Peak of hospitalizations (n = 156, 26 in ICU) |
COVID-19 management in CUSL | |
 March 2, 2020 | RT-PCR test available in-house for symptomatic patients requiring hospitalization |
 March 14, 2020 | Test indicated for healthcare workers with respiratory symptoms and fever without geographic context |
 March 14, 2020 | National hospital emergency plan directing general preventive measures |
 March 30, 2020 | Test indicated for healthcare workers with mild respiratory symptoms |
 April 1, 2020 | Systematic RT-PCR test before each invasive procedure or admission of a hospitalized patient. Due to logistics, systematic RT-PCR was never recommended for ambulatory oncology patients admitted to the day unit. |
 April 7, 2020 | Face masks were made mandatory inside the hospital |
Measures specific to the Department of Medical Oncology at CUSL | |
 March 6, 2020 | A. Start of systematic check for COVID-19 symptoms: 1) the day before planned systemic treatment (in-house pre-treatment consultation on a different floor to the ambulatory care unit or by phone) 2) a second check was established the day of scheduled treatment at the entrance to the outpatient medical oncology day unit. 3) in case of any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection:  - 7 days treatment postponement without any COVID-19 RT-PCR if this treatment delay was judged medically acceptable.  - COVID-19 RT-PCR if it was judged that a treatment delay could impact the patient prognosis or if hospitalization was required. B. Exclusion of any visitors to the oncology wards. C. Tissue face masks highly recommended to each patient entering CUSL. |