Table II.

Possible measures to prevent potential delays in haematological disease diagnosis during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic.

Primary measures
Family doctors	Telephone calls, telemedicine or digital platforms should be utilized to screen patients for potential haematological symptoms such as persistent or low‐grade fever unresponsive to antibiotics, cough, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, bleedings, lymphadenopathies and exposure history that potentially could identify patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be provided to allow patients to be seen at home especially in the elderly setting if required by critical clinical conditions. Home care services should be promptly activated or, if symptoms persist for >72 h, refer patients to specific departments.
Home care services	Develop home care services with dedicated staff (e.g., nurses equipped with appropriate PPE) capable of performing a SARS‐CoV‐2 swab and blood analysis including blood cell count and assessment of coagulation parameters. These exams should be processed quickly, within a few hours. If alterations of blood cell count or coagulation parameters are noted, patients should be immediately referred to a haematology department or seen by a specialist, regardless of SARS‐CoV‐2 results