Post lockdown measures
There is likely to be a protracted period of close vigilance required before the current COVID pandemic resolves or when the presence of an effective vaccine becomes widely available. The strict lockdown measures are already being gradually lifted in several Asian countries. However, requirements of social distancing as well as the above measures recommended are likely to be relevant. Increased number of pre-testing of patients with aortic stenosis for pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID 19 infections prior to intervention may further mitigate the risks to healthcare workers. When the number of COVID-19 infections are kept under control and when hospital and intensive care resources become less overwhelmed, a cautious approach to increase the capacity for the number of patients treated should be considered in tandem with guidance from local public health experts.