Figure 2.

Flow chart for the management of emergency cardiovascular surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; CRP, C-reactive protein; CT, computed tomography; CVD, cardiovascular disease; PPE, personal protective equipment; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. *, inclusive of influenza type A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, coxsackie group B virus, adenovirus, mycoplasma pneumonia, and chlamydia pneumonia. ^#, in the early phase of the pandemic, due to a lack of PCR kits, some emergency suspected COVID-19 cases required cardiovascular long surgery before a diagnosis was confirmed. These were classified as “clinically diagnosed cases” according to the 5^th edition of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Program.