Neurology and the COVID-19 emergency

Excerpt

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, significant changes have been implemented on a national level in the organization of neurology units and associated stroke units. Regionally-designated COVID-19 hospitals have implemented an aggressive policy to relocate as many beds as possible to COVID-19 patients. In order to do so, the preferred strategy has been to reduce the number of beds in neurology units, and in some cases several units have been consolidated into one. In other cases, particularly in the northern regions, entire neurology units have been closed and converted into COVID-19 departments entrusted to other medical specialties. Some stroke units have followed the same path and become “hubs” and “spokes” for acute neurological pathology. In other situations, especially when it was necessary to meet the need for paramedical staff, the number of beds in neurology/stroke wards were significantly reduced and the nurses transferred to other units as needed to manage the COVID-19 emergency. …