Challenges and solutions in the days of COVID-19: Experiences from a tertiary referral centre

COVID-19 is not a lung disease alone. It produces several collateral damages in all the specialities of medicine, including dermatology. Neither a major breakthrough in the treatment nor a vaccine has been introduced to deal with this virus. We developed a three-pronged strategy to ensure that our patients are not denied treatment for their chronic dermatoses; at the same time, minimizing their risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection through frequent hospital visits. First, we reduced the need of the patients for repeated hospital visits by providing them medical help through phone calls. Second, we ensured safety of the patients who comes for dermatological procedures, photo therapy, and laser therapies. Third, we ensured the protection of our lab persons by following strict guidelines while performing blood tests of COVID-19 patients.