SPR Official Communiqué on COVID-19 and JPR 2020

São Paulo, March 06, 2020. The São Paulo Society of Radiology and Image Diagnosis (SPR) informs all its members – including JPR coordinators, professors and congressmen, as well as all its institutional partners, suppliers, exhibitors, potential visitors to the Journey and other parties interested in the event, which is closely and responsibly following the facts related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the world. The SPR has been monitoring and analysing, particularly, the delicate situation on the European continent, a region where the developments of the epidemic determined the change of date of important Radiology events: the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) and the Spanish Congress of Radiology. Our entity is in solidarity with the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and the Spanish Society of Radiology (SERAM), organizers of the postponed events and partners of the SPR, expressing its support for these events in their new dates. Faced with questions triggered by the events described above, SPR considers it appropriate to emphasize that the 50th Jornada Paulista de Radiologia (JPR 2020) normally follows its organization schedule, keeping its date confirmed for April 30 to May 3, 2020 , at the Transamerica Expo Center, in São Paulo. It is worth mentioning that, although it is clear that it is impossible to predict with complete precision the consequences of an epidemic such as COVID-19 in the short term, some scientific peculiarities of the virus, data already released by the responsible bodies and expert opinions on the subject lead the SPR to believe that the scenario of the epidemic in Brazil will not reach the same gravity registered in other places. It is considered, for example, that we will still have hot weather in the next 60 days, which is unfavorable to the spread of this type of virus. It is also observed the fact that we have in the country the predominance of cases of people contaminated abroad, with local dissemination still quite controlled. Regarding the impacts on the theme for JPR, there is only the possibility that a foreign professor cannot attend the event due to the directive of his institution – and it is worth mentioning here that so far there has not been any such case. As a preventive measure, SPR and the Society of Radiology of North America – RSNA (SPR's partner entity in the organization of JPR 2020) are already discussing strategies to preserve the high level of the scientific program and guarantee the offering of the planned classes, without no harm to participants. SPR will continue to monitor the data on the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil and around the world and reaffirms, from now on, its commitment to follow the guidelines of the official bodies, basing its decisions in accordance with the established guidelines, aiming above all to preserve health of those involved with JPR and the well-being of civil society as a whole. To continue reassuring all interested parties, the SPR will issue new reports on the matter in due course. Paulista Society of Radiology and Imaging Diagnosis (SPR)