European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC) and European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) joint considerations about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, screening programs, colposcopy, and surgery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has radically changed global healthcare. On May 13, 2020, all countries of the European Region reported their COVID-19 status, with 1 757 814 confirmed cases and 157 923 confirmed deaths.1 Each country has initiated measures to reduce the impact on healthcare systems and to mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Suspension or postponement of all non-urgent diagnostic procedures and interventions were among the first adopted strategies to reduce the workload on healthcare facilities, while procedures for urgent or oncological cases have been maintained. Measures such as “social distancing”, defined as keeping distance between individuals outside of their home, and “lockdown”, defined as restricting the movement of the population except for necessity, work, and health circumstances, have been adopted extensively.