COVID-19: Information for Healthcare Professionals and the Respiratory Community
CTS Statement on Salbutamol Inhaler Shortage
The CTS participated in multi-stakeholder meetings with Health Canada to discuss mitigation strategies for an emerging salbutamol inhaler shortage in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CTS Asthma and COPD Assembly Steering Committees developed rapid guidance for Canadian physicians recommending options for Salbutamol MDI substitutions in the event of a shortage.
Asthma mitigation strategy – April 13, 2020
COPD mitigation strategy – April 13, 2020
Health Canada Update – May 13, 2020
Health Canada Update – May 19, 2020
Canadian Lung Association InfoGraphic guidance for your patients:
Managing Asthma during COVID-19 InfoGraphic [Download]
Managing COPD during COVID-19 InfoGraphic [Download]
CTS Position Statements
New position statements were developed by the CTS Asthma, COPD, and Sleep Disordered Breathing Steering Committees to help Canadian physicians optimize management for their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- CTS recommendations regarding the use of face masks by the public during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic – June 2, 2020 – NEW
- Key highlights of the CTS’ Position Statement on the Optimization of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic – May 15, 2020 (In Press – CHEST Journal)
- Position Statement on Clinical Triage Thresholds in Respiratory Disease Patients in the Event of a Major Surge during the COVID-19 Pandemic – May 11, 2020 – NEW
- Sleep Disordered Breathing position statement – April 16, 2020
- Asthma position statement – April 7, 2020
- COPD position statement – April 8, 2020
Click on the side menu to find resources to guide patients on how to properly use their inhaler, self-management education, pulmonary rehabilitation and home exercise for various diseases or topics.
The pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation and this page will be updated frequently as information becomes available. If you have suggestions for how CTS can best support the respiratory, critical care, and sleep medicine community, please contact: Anne Van Dam at avandam@cts-sct.ca.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) provides information for healthcare professionals on the following topics:
PHAC Infection Prevention and Control guidelines:
- Infection prevention and control for coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Interim guidance for acute healthcare settings
- Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Acute Care Settings
- Routine practices and additional precautions for preventing the transmission of infection in healthcare settings
ATS & ERS joint Webinar: Global Perspectives on COVID-19
IPCRG 2020: Virtual Conference Sessions on Covid-19, by International Primary Care Respiratory Group
COVID-19: Considerations for the Management of Acute Respiratory Failure, by Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
Pulmonary Fibrosis and COVID-19 Webinar by Canadian Fibrosis Foundation
MDBriefCase: A Canadian Healthcare Provider’s Guide To The Novel Coronavirus (2019- NCov)
Recorded webinar with a panel of experts from the Canadian Anesthesiology Society: Protecting yourself while caring for patients – PPE and more
CHEST COVID-19 On-Demand e-Learning
Critical Care Education Pandemic Preparedness (CCEPP): Quick ICU Training for COVID-19
WHO Online Course: Emerging respiratory viruses, including nCoV: methods for detection, prevention, response and control
WHO Online Course: Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support country preparedness and response
CMA: Managing and re-opening your practice during COVID-19 – May 14, 2020
Royal College: Navigating Medical Emergencies: An Interactive Guide to Patient Management – May 7, 2020
Recommendations from Choosing Wisely Canada
Questions and Answers on COVID-19 by the CMA, the Royal College and the CFPC
Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society
Canadian Association for Emergency Physicians
Canadian Institute for Health Information
Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST)
American Thoracic Society
European Respiratory Society
Find out about what the industry is doing to fight COVID-19 here.
CTS Members in the News
May 27, 2020 – Getting ahead of the curve: A comprehensive COVID-19 testing strategy for Canada
May 20, 2020 – Toronto respirologist tackles current questions on COVID-19
May 13, 2020 – How are Ottawa’s most vulnerable residents being affected by the pandemic?
April 26, 2020 – Asthma and coronavirus – what are the risks?
April 15, 2020 – How countries are responding to the crisis
April 7, 2020 – Why we should all be wearing masks — and how our public health authorities got it wrong
April 5, 2020 – What you need to know before wearing a mask
April 3, 2020 – Winnipeg Ventilator tapped for Canada’s fight against coronavirus
April 1, 2020 – Canadian health-care workers preserving personal protective equipment as COVID-19 cases rise
March 30, 2020 – B.C. doctor warns of deadly ‘double whammy’ if coronavirus persists into wildfire season
March 27, 2020 – A lung specialist and intensive care doctor explains how COVID-19 can wreak havoc on the body
March 25, 2020 – COVID-19 is much more widespread in the community than people realize
#WeAskYou
Join your Newfoundland & Labrador Colleagues in asking Canadians for their help to self-isolate! Send us your video or tweet about it!