What if a major radiation incident happened during a pandemic? - Considerations of the impact on biodosimetry COMMENT

There are many challenges that arise when maintaining capacity and capabilities for biodosimetry when faced with a global pandemic such as COVID-19. The key is to be prepared for anything within reason. This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining flexibility, shifting and reorganizing deployment of staff between pandemic response and biodosimetry needs, strengthening networks to be able to provide assistance to other laboratories, managing staff in the face of possible infections and preparing protocols for the handling of potentially infected biological samples according to regulatory requirements. By implementing these recommendations, international biodosimetry networks can be prepared to address large-scale radiological incidents within the context of a pandemic and ensure the safety of biodosimetry personnel as well as victims in such dual emergencies.