Necessity and feasibility of viral RNA detection in specialist ophthalmic institute during the COVID-19 epidemic

The prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in China is now at a key stage.The tasks faced by the medical organs are fighting against the COVID-19 while providing the medical services orderly.As a Specialist medical institution nationwide, ophthalmic hospitals are resuming receiving patients and performing operations gradually, including precision interruption of the epidemic, prevention of the secondary virus transmission, and avoidance of nosocomial cross infection among health care providers are required.We explored a multifaceted management for the prevention and control of epidemic, with a special focus on the individual protection for patients and medical staffs.A preliminary positive effect can be observed as a result.The main measures taken cover two aspects.On the one hand, 2019-nCoV ribonucleic acid (RNA) detection and hematological indices inspection including C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are listed as routine tests of preoperative screening for ocular surgical patients.These tests are required to be completed upon the admission to avoid the possibility of accepting any asymptomatic infected individual and to reduce the risk of nosocomial cross infection.On the other hand, the 2019-nCoV RNA detection is also provided to high-risk employees who visited affected area recently.This assists in obtaining guarantee in both safety and quality of medical services provided, but also helps in lessening the mental and spiritual stress for medical staffs.It is expected that these measures can contribute to the work of our peers of ophthalmology in the prevention and control of COVID-19 and to the safe environment where the medical services are provided, and provide a reference for other outbreak of virus-causing disease.