Adult congenital heart care in the COVID-19 era, and beyond: A call for actionKey Points

• Main Authors: Michael A. Gatzoulis, Natali Chung, Paolo Ferrero, Massimo Chessa, George Giannakoulas, Aphrodite Tzifa, Gerhard P. Diller, Margarita Brida, Nada Al-Sakini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Cardiology Congenital Heart Disease
• Subjects: Covid-19; Pandemic; Adult congenintal heart disease; New health care model; Patient education; Patient empowerment
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666668520300021

While virus epidemics are nothing new to man, the scale, speed of global spread and immediacy of the COVID-19 pandemic have been truly unprecedented [1]. The entire world has been turned on its head in less than a few months, with major implications beyond disease burden and loss of life, threatening the economic status quo and human psychosocial balance and wellbeing not only for patients, but for all of us. The primary aim of our Call for Action Viewpoint was to support and protect our adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients and their needs during these challenging and uncertain times. This goal had to be met while we, as individuals, teams, institutions and nations, came together in a global effort to combat this aggressive virus, that appears to spare no organs or systems, nor any borders, geographic or other. As with any crisis, there is always opportunity: we are submitting herewith a vision for a different and better model of ACHD care, and for a better life journey and health care experience for our patients, that should be in place in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of the points and principles discussed in this article, need not be confined to ACHD patients, but have a broader reach. And we must not forget nor neglect the most vulnerable in society at this time, namely the elderly, disabled and other dependent or disadvantaged groups in this “We Are One” global operation. Last but not least, this maybe the time to take better care of ourselves (and others) and reflect on life.