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

Abstract

In this paper, we consider the issues associated with and the potential impact on biodosimetry, i.e. screening for medically significant exposure to radiation, if a major radiation incident were to happen during a pandemic. We focus on those aspects that are likely to have greatest impact and/or to require modifying usual practice, because of the simultaneous needs to address the problems and synergistic risks that may occur. In particular, from the point of view of carrying out effective biodosimetry, we consider what will be the special challenges and how to plan and prepare to meet those challenges. While this paper reports on the preparations (or the lack thereof) that biodosimetry laboratories made for handling a possible radiation incident during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons and inferences that we draw will be applicable to the co-occurrence of a radiation incident and other types of pandemics as well as other large population-scale emergencies.Footnote1