Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the urologic practice in the emergency departments in Italy.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are causing a rapid and tragic health emergency worldwide [1,2]. Italy was the first European country to experience a virus outbreak, starting on Feb, 21st 2020. It resulted in national quarantine, and the official lockdown of the country's non-essential businesses and services began on Mar, 9th 2020. Although several reports are available in the literature on recommendations for reorganization of the clinical and surgical activities [3-7], to our knowledge, no data is available on the effective impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the outcomes of other medical conditions.

BJU international. 2020 May 14 [Epub ahead of print]

G Novara, R Bartoletti, A Crestani, C De Nunzio, J Durante, A Gregori, G Liguori, N Pavan, C Trombetta, A Simonato, A Tubaro, V Ficarra, F Porpiglia, Research Urology Network (RUN)

Department Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Urologic Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy., Department of Translational Research and New Technologies, Urologic Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy., Urology Unit, IRCCS Venetian Oncologic Institute (IOV), Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso, Italy., Department of Urology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy., Urology unit, Ospedale Sacco, Milan, Italy., Department of Urology, University of Trieste, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy., Urology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Croce e Carle, Cuneo, Italy., Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", Urologic section, University of Messina, Messina, Italy., Division of Urology, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, San Luigi Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy.