COVID‐19 pandemic: Practical considerations on the organization of an allergy clinic—An EAACI/ARIA Position Paper
Authors: Oliver Pfaar, Ludger Klimek, Marek Jutel, Cezmi A. Akdis, Jean Bousquet, Heimo Breiteneder, Sharon Chinthrajah, Zuzana Diamant, Thomas Eiwegger, Wytske J. Fokkens, Hans‐Walter Fritsch, Kari C. Nadeau, Robyn E. O’Hehir, Liam O’Mahony, Winfried Rief, Vanitha Sampath, Manfred Schedlowski, María José Torres, Claudia Traidl‐Hoffmann, De Yun Wang, Luo Zhang, Matteo Bonini, Randolf Brehler, Helen Annaruth Brough, Tomás Chivato, Stefano R. Del Giacco, Stephanie Dramburg, Radoslaw Gawlik, Aslı Gelincik, Karin Hoffmann‐Sommergruber, Valerie Hox, Edward F. Knol, Antti Lauerma, Paolo M. Matricardi, Charlotte G. Mortz, Markus Ollert, Oscar Palomares, Carmen Riggioni, Jürgen Schwarze, Isabel Skypala, Eva Untersmayr, Jolanta Walusiak‐Skorupa, Ignacio J. Ansotegui, Claus Bachert, Anna Bedbrook, Sinthia Bosnic‐Anticevich, Luisa Brussino, Giorgio Walter Canonica, Victoria Cardona, Pedro Carreiro‐Martins, Alvaro A. Cruz, Wienczyslawa Czarlewski, João A. Fonseca, Maia Gotua, Tari Haahtela, Juan Carlos Ivancevich, Piotr Kuna, Violeta Kvedariene, Désirée Erlinda Larenas‐Linnemann, Amir Hamzah Abdul Latiff, Mika Mäkelä, Mário Morais‐Almeida, Joaquim Mullol, Robert Naclerio, Ken Ohta, Yoshitaka Okamoto, Gabrielle L. Onorato, Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos, Vincenzo Patella, Frederico S. Regateiro, Bolesław Samoliński, Charlotte Suppli Ulrik, Sanna Toppila‐Salmi, Arunas Valiulis, Maria‐Teresa Ventura, Arzu Yorgancioglu, Torsten Zuberbier, Ioana Agache
Journal: Allergy (2020)

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved into a pandemic infectious disease transmitted by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Allergists and other healthcare providers (HCPs) in the field of allergies and associated airway diseases are on the front line, taking care of patients potentially infected with SARS-CoV-2. Hence, strategies and practices to minimize risks of infection for both HCPs and treated patients have to be developed and followed by allergy clinics.The scientific information on COVID-19 was analysed by a literature search in MEDLINE, PubMed, the National and International Guidelines from the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the Cochrane Library, and the internet.Based on the diagnostic and treatment standards developed by EAACI, on international information regarding COVID-19, on guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations, and on previous experience, a panel of experts including clinicians, psychologists, IT experts, and basic scientists along with EAACI and the "Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA)" initiative have developed recommendations for the optimal management of allergy clinics during the current COVID-19 pandemic. These recommendations are grouped into nine sections on different relevant aspects for the care of patients with allergies.This international Position Paper provides recommendations on operational plans and procedures to maintain high standards in the daily clinical care of allergic patients while ensuring the necessary safety measures in the current COVID-19 pandemic.