The United Kingdom was one of the countries hardest hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the second highest death rate reported in early June 2020. However, regardless of this, 32% of patients underwent to a smear for COVID-19 in the presentation. No local regulations on swabs were reported and it is very likely that they will differ in the UK during the early stages of the pandemic. Later work may show better test results. About 4% of positive test results for the virus were never published, either through surgery or careful treatment. This is in contrast to previous data on increased mortality even after mild to moderate surgery. However, most patients are young and otherwise healthy, predisposing them to better results than reported with a wide range of surgical procedures. In the end, several surgical societies have developed their guidelines on how to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in daily clinical practice. Recommendations for emergency surgery have caused controversy among surgeons internationally