KARDIOLOGIA POLSKA 2020; 78 (5) 498 Correspondence to: Danuta Sorysz, MD, PhD, Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Intervention, Institute of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, ul. Jakubowskiego 2, 30-688 Kraków, Poland, phone: +48 12 400 22 50, email: dsorysz@gmail.com Received: May 14, 2020. Accepted: May 15, 2020. Published online: May 15, 2020. Kardiol Pol. 2020; 78 (5): 498-507 doi:10.33963/KP.15358 Copyright by the Polish Cardiac Society, Warsaw 2020 ABSTRACT The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), represents a major challenge for healthcare. The involvement of cardiovascular system in COVID‑19 has been proven and increased healthcare system resources are redirected towards handling infected patients, which induces major changes in access to services and prioritization in the management of patients with chronic cardiovascular disease unrelated to COVID‑19. In this expert opinion, conceived by the task force involving the Working Groups on Valvular Heart Diseases and Cardiac Surgery as well as the Association of Cardiovascular Intervention of the Polish Cardiac Society, modification of diagnostic pathways, principles of healthcare personnel protection, and treatment guidelines regarding triage and prioritization are suggested. Heart Teams responsible for the treatment of valvular heart disease should continue their work using telemedicine and digital technology. Diagnostic EXPERT OPINION AND POSITION PAPER Management of valvular and structural heart diseases during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic An expert opinion of the Working Group on Valvular Heart Diseases, the Working Group on Cardiac Surgery, and the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society Writing Committee: Edyta Płońska‑Gościniak 1 , Piotr Suwalski 2 , Stanisław Bartuś 3 , Tomasz Kukulski 4 , Monika Komar 5 , Wojciech Wojakowski 6 , Marek Grygier 7 , Piotr Pruszczyk 8 , Zbigniew Gąsior 9 , Zenon Huczek 10 , Adrianna Berger‑Kucza 11 , Janusz Bąk 12 , Danuta Sorysz 3 , Jarosław D. Kasprzak 13 Review Committee: Maciej Lesiak 14 , Marek Deja 15 , Marek Jasiński 16 , Tomasz Hryniewiecki 17 , Tomasz Hirnle 18 , Zofia Oko‑Sarnowska 14 , Olga Trojnarska 14 , Lidia Tomkiewicz‑Pająk 5 Reviewers (on behalf of the Polish Cardiac Society): Maria Olszowska 5 , Katarzyna Mizia‑Stec 11 1 Department of Cardiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland 2 Clinical Department of Cardiac Surgery, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Warsaw, Poland 3 Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Intervention, Institute of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland 4 Department of Cardiology, Congenital Heart Diseases and Electrotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 5 Department of Cardiac and Vascular Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland 6 3rd Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 7 Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland 8 Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland 9 Department of Cardiology, School of Health Science, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 10 1st Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland 11 1st Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Upper Silesian Medical Centre, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 12 Department of Cardiac Surgery, Clinical Provincial Hospital No 2, Rzeszów, Poland 13 1st Department of Cardiology, Biegański Hospital, Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland 14 1st Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland 15 Department of Cardiac Surgery, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 16 Department and Clinic of Cardiac Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland 17 Department of Acquired Cardiac Defects, The Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński National Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland 18 Department of Cardiosurgery, Medical University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland