Safety of Health Professionals and Cancer Patients in the Covid-19 Pandemic

The new coronavirus, SARS-Cov-2, was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then, the so-called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected every aspect of our lives worldwide. So far, it appears that cancer patients and healthcare professionals are at greater risk for both their physical and mental health. The purpose of this article is to highlight the measures for the protection and safety of cancer patients and healthcare workers. This article discusses the strategies already in place to reduce COVID-19 transmission in an effort to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease for cancer patients with or without COVID-19 infection and for healthcare professionals who work constantly to provide the best possible oncology care. Also, the changes brought by the new coronavirus in the care of cancer patients are analyzed, as well as specific instructions for the self-care and stress management for healthcare professionals.