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Correspondence
Impact of lockdown on rheumatology outpatient care in the age of COVID-19
  1. Benjamin Sachdev Manjit Singh,
  2. Seow Lin Chuah,
  3. Yaw Kiet Cheong,
  4. Sharifah Aishah Wan,
  5. Cheng Lay Teh
  1. Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Benjamin Sachdev Manjit Singh, Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia; benjaminsachdev{at}gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-218484

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    We read with great interest the editorial written by McInnes1 who discussed regarding the role of the rheumatologist and the rapidly changing landscape in the practice of rheumatology brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)2 had also recently published several recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases when local measures of social distancing are in effect. We were interested in the impact caused by local public health measures to control the pandemic on rheumatology outpatient care at our centre.

    Extraordinary measures have been advocated globally to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Malaysia’s first COVID-19 case was reported on the 25 January 20203 and cases spiked in March 2020 reaching the highest number in South-East Asia in early April. Malaysia instituted a lockdown from 18 March 2020 which was extended 9 June 2020 (a 12-week period) as a public health measure to curb the pandemic.4 5

    During the pandemic, our hospital was designated as a COVID-19 hybrid hospital tasked with taking in both COVID-19 and regular patients. Several hospital-wide strategies were implemented to contain the pandemic and decongest the hospital including rescheduling of non-urgent patient appointments, reducing non-essential laboratory and radiological investigations, the implementation of teleconsultation and referral of stable patients to primary healthcare facilities for continuation of …

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