Despite the restrictions imposed on the general population (resulting in a substantial drop in major accidents), we still need to provide appropriate care for high-energy injuries. The European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery is clear in recommending that patients without symptoms or radiographic signs of ongoing SARS-Cov2, or with a negative test for SARS-Cov2, can proceed to the operating room (OR) emergently. However, there is a problem for those polytraumatized patients with life-threatening injuries where screening is difficult and urgent action is needed, throwing these patients into lesser-equipped ORs, and generating undesirable delays in treatment. In short, the rational application of guidelines and prevention of delays in medical and surgical care are now global issues raised for all non-COVID-19 patients.

Full Letter to the Editor here (English only).