ABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 virus and ensuing illness (COVID-19) appeared in North America in January 2020, and as of October 2, 2020, had resulted in approximately 9,000,000 total cases and 313,000 deaths. This chapter discusses the North American medical physics response to the pandemic and the impact it has had on various aspects of the profession. The initial clinical need was to minimize COVID-19 risks for patients and employees while maintaining high-quality patient care. Recognizing the impact that COVID-19 would have on the medical physics community, American Association of Physicists in Medicine proactively reached out to various regulatory and accreditation organizations to request relaxed testing frequency criteria. Research efforts have identified non-traditional medical physics opportunities in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, which could expand to other areas of healthcare. These changes will help identify future opportunities for medical physicists and allow us to respond more effectively to similar future events.
