Management of breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic
Bülent Çıtgez
Abstract
T he novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was first described as an enveloped, positive-sense, singlestranded RNA viruses similar to SARS-CoV in the Hubei province of China in December 2019, began to appear in most countries outside China later. The World Health Organization (WHO) described this disease as a pandemic on 11 March. On the same date, the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health has announced the first case in Turkey. On May 18, the WHO announced that there were 4 833 022 cases and 317 215 deaths confirmed worldwide. On this date, 149435 confirmed cases, and 4140 deaths was reported in Turkey and the number of recovered patients was 109962. e fatality rate of COVID-19 has been estimated at approximately 2 to 3%, but it varies dramatically for different age groups and accompanying comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension. However, it is not possible to say precisely the mortality rate, as the number of infected people is unknown, and the mortality rates also change if the virus is mutated. Patients are potential carriers during the incubation period in which the virus is contagious, but the patient does not display any symptoms. People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported -ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. When patients become symptomatic, they may show many non-specific symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, the new loss of taste or smell. Although research for an effective drug or vaccine is still ongoing, potential vaccines must pass