The European Society of Radiology (ESR) is asking attendees of next month's ECR not to become caught up in potential "hysteria" regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to know the facts about it.
"On such topics, a certain hysteria often resonates in the media, which often presents itself differently with an objective view of the facts. ... Attention must be paid to adherence to basic hygienic behavior, the same as during the flu season, good hand hygiene and correct 'cough etiquette,' " said Prof. Michael Fuchsjäger, ESR first vice president and chair of the department of radiology at Medical University Graz, Austria, in a statement.
Currently, the risk of infection in Europe is generally low, according to the ESR. COVID-19 infections generally take a mild course, with more severe cases in older and immunocompromised people.
The society has scheduled a special session to discuss COVID-19 at ECR 2020 in Vienna. The event will feature radiologists, pulmonologists, epidemiologists, and virologists from Wuhan, China; Paris; Frankfurt, Germany; Munich; and Rome. The experts will have firsthand experience in imaging and treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
The lecture series is scheduled for 12 March from 17:45 to 18:45. Registration for the event is open through the ECR 2020 website.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
