G. Gallo¹  · M. La Torre²  · R. Pietroletti³  · F. Bianco⁴  · D. F. Altomare^5,6 · S. Pucciarelli⁷  · G. Gagliardi⁸  · R. Perinotti⁹

• ¹ Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
• ² Coloproctology Unit, S. Anna Clinic, Pomezia, Italy
• ³ Coloproctology Unit, Hospital Val Vibrata, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
• ⁴ General Surgery Unit, S. Leonardo Hospital, Castellammare Di Stabia, Napoli, Italy
• ⁵ Functional and Oncologic Colorectal Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Bari, Italy 6 IRCCS Ospedale Oncologico Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy
• ⁷ Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
• ⁸ Department of Surgery, University of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
• ⁹ Colorectal Surgical Unit, Department of Surgery, Infermi Hospital, Biella, Italy

The frst cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection, the so-called 2019 novel COronaVIrus Disease (COVID-19), were frst reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 [1].

After 3 months and about 125,000 cases in more than 118 countries, on the 12th of March, the WHO defned the spread of SARS-COV-2 as a pandemic [2].

Since the frst case of SARS-CoV-2 was confrmed in Italy on the 21st of February, the northern regions frst [3] (because frst shocked by the event) and then the southern ones, to avoid further spread of infection, have closed schools, universities, museums, and all other public places, also canceling all the events that could create crowds such as football matches or musical concerts.

In this chaotic moment, the consequences of this severe and indispensable quarantine have been overwhelming, especially on the Public Health System (Sistema Sanitario Nazionale, SSN), with relevant diferences from region to region.

Concerning the feld of surgery, elective procedures, including day case surgeries, have been canceled in favor of emergencies. Furthermore, many regions are trying to identify centers of reference where oncological cases that are COVID-19 negative should converge.

During these hard times, there was no possibility to defne evidence-based clinical practice guidelines even if several national and international scientifc societies are trying to develop recommendations based on common sense [4–6].

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