Table 3. General recommendations in the operating room setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Point of interest	Recommendation
Aspiration systems	Closed circuit aspiration systems should incorporate antiviral filters
OR air flow	OR should incorporate negative pressure system.
Staff exposure	Procedures should be performed by the most experienced personnel using the minimum time possible, with the minimal OR staff necessary to perform the procedure safely.
Dedicated OR	Institutions are recommended to specify a dedicated OR solely for COVID-19 + patients, and it is required to have specific protection measures (full PPE, proper immediate terminal cleaning).
Emergent procedures	In case of emergency procedures, and timing does not allow proper testing, patient should be assumed COVID-19 positive and maximum PPE available should be used.
Anesthesia	Avoid orotracheal intubation / general anesthesia as much as possible.
Surgical team entry to room	The surgical team (surgeon, assistants, instrumentalist) should not enter the OR until the patient is already intubated.
COVID-19 negative patients	Use of protective glasses and FFP2 mask is recommended even in COVID-19 negative patients. 51

Abbreviations: COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; FFP2, filtering face piece - level 2; OR, operating room; PPE, personal protective equipment.