Bronchoscopy and respiratory specimen collection for COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is the first and most challenging health condition in the 21st century. The number of patients confirmed with COVID-19 disease worldwide is now above one million, and the number of deaths is increasing day by day. Bronchoscopy is a procedure used for the diagnosis and treatment of various conditions, but it can also transmit disease if appropriate precautions are not followed. In this short review, the limited scientific knowledge about bronchoscopy in COVID-19 pneumonia and the precautions which should be performed are summarized.