Table 3. Suggested Research Agenda.

Infection and workflow/unit/staff

How to consider the lingering effects of COVID 19 during the coming months/years in our endoscopy practice?

When and how should a patient suspected of having COVID 19 be tested in relation to performance of a GI endoscopy procedure?

How often, or if at all,should medical staff/endoscopy staff be tested for COVID 19 and by which methods?

How did COVID-19 affect the endoscopy unit’s workflow?

How to take care of the psychological well-being of the GI endoscopy unit staff?

What are the financial consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak for the endoscopy unit?

How did COVID-19 affect fellows’ training, education, and research (meeting, e-learning, CME credits, collaborations, etc.)?

How to stimulate/compensate the staff to work extra hours to catch up with the patient waiting lists after the pandemic?

Procedural protection

Is there any difference in COVID 19 transmission risk between upper and lower GI endoscopy?

Is oral and/or fecal transmission a true/equal hazard?

Which are the fundamental PPEs that are required and how to confront their shortages?

What is the difference in using a FFP2 vs two surgical masks vs one surgical mask on infection risk?

Rescheduling and disease risk

What is the burden in terms of cancer progression of delaying GI endoscopy procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

How did you organize the GI endoscopy care for patients?

How to prioritize postponed GI endoscopy procedures after the pandemic is over?

What are the “acceptable” waiting times, stratified by the type of GI endoscopy procedure?