Colonoscopy Screening and Pandemic – How to Deal with?

Elective medical procedures, such as colonoscopy screening, were mainly put on hold at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to prioritize urgent needs and decrease the chance of COVID-19 spreading in healthcare facilities. As a result, there has been a significant decline in screening.

Elective procedures, such as cancer screening, are once again available at most healthcare facilities. While various measures have been taken, the speed with which you can be checked may vary by town and facility as the epidemic progresses.

Many factors influence whether or not to get checked, and they might not be equal for everyone. Starting cancer screening typically necessitates careful consideration of the dangers and advantages of the procedure, as well as ensuring that both patients and healthcare staff are as COVID-19-free as possible.

Cancer screening should be done on a regular basis

If your screening appointment has been postponed or canceled, speak with your healthcare provider about rescheduling. Your physician can help you weigh the risks and advantages of getting checked now against waiting, considering your family and personal history, additional risk factors, and the previous screening test time.

It's also vital to remember that we're talking about cancer screening. Screening tests are used to detect cancer in patients who have no symptoms. These tests are not the same as the ones your doctor could request if you're experiencing symptoms that could indicate cancer. If you have signs or symptoms that could indicate cancer, such as a lump in your breast or blood in your stool, you should talk to your doctor right once, as you will require exams or tests to determine the cause of those signs and symptoms.

Risk free screening tests

Precautions are in place at health care facilities that deliver cancer screening tests to ensure that the tests are performed as safely as possible. To limit the risk of COVID transmission, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made the following recommendations for healthcare facilities:

• Patients should have negative Covid report before screening tests, and screening centers should be ready to answer queries from patients by phone or web portal before and/or after the screening procedure.

The colonoscopy screening center must be able to answer you about the queries on equipment and surface cleaning and disinfection.

• Everyone, including patients and staff, should wear a mask when needed.

• Appointments should be scheduled well for avoiding crowds in patient care rooms and waiting rooms. Staff, patients, and visitors should wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.

Visit us at Screen the City for details on colon cancer screening. We follow all Covid restrictions and guidelines to keep you safe from this disease from getting infected during the process.

**Disclaimer: This blog content does not intend to offer a doctor’s advice and mentions no relationship between any patient and the care provider.