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International registry of otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons with COVID-19

  • Leigh J Sowerby
  • , Kate Stephenson
  • , Alexander Dickie
  • , Federico A Di Lella
  • , Niall Jefferson
  • , Hannah North
  • , R Daniele De Siati
  • , Rebecca Maunsell
  • , Michael Herzog
  • , Raghu Nandhan
  • , Marilena Trozzi
  • , Puya Dehgani-Mobaraki
  • , Antoine Melkane
  • , Claudio Callejas
  • , Harald Miljeteig
  • , Diane Smit
  • , Daniel Dibildox Reynoso
  • , Joao Eloi Moura
  • , Ann Hermansson
  • , Shazia Peer
  • Lisa Burnell, Nicolas Fakhry, Carlos Chiesa-Estomba, Özlem Önerci Çelebi, Sergei Karpischenko, Steven Sobol, Zoukaa Sargi, Zara M Patel

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    2 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: It has become clear that healthcare workers are at high risk, and otolaryngology has been theorized to be among the highest risk specialties for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this study was to detail the international impact of COVID-19 among otolaryngologists, and to identify instructional cases.

    METHODS: Country representatives of the Young Otolaryngologists-International Federation of Otolaryngologic Societies (YO-IFOS) surveyed otolaryngologists through various channels. Nationwide surveys were distributed in 19 countries. The gray literature and social media channels were searched to identify reported deaths of otolaryngologists from COVID-19.

    RESULTS: A total of 361 otolaryngologists were identified to have had COVID-19, and data for 325 surgeons was available for analysis. The age range was 25 to 84 years, with one-half under the age of 44 years. There were 24 deaths in the study period, with 83% over age 55 years. Source of infection was likely clinical activity in 175 (54%) cases. Prolonged exposure to a colleague was the source for 37 (11%) surgeons. Six instructional cases were identified where infections occurred during the performance of aerosol-generating operations (tracheostomy, mastoidectomy, epistaxis control, dacryocystorhinostomy, and translabyrinthine resection). In 3 of these cases, multiple operating room attendees were infected, and in 2, the surgeon succumbed to complications of COVID-19.

    CONCLUSION: The etiology of reported cases within the otolaryngology community appear to stem equally from clinical activity and community spread. Multiple procedures performed by otolaryngologists are aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and great care should be taken to protect the surgical team before, during, and after these operations.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1201-1208
    Number of pages8
    JournalInternational forum of allergy & rhinology
    Volume10
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2020

    Keywords

    • COVID-19
    • aerosol generating procedures (AGPs)
    • coronavirus
    • morbidity
    • mortality
    • otolaryngology
    • personal protective equipment (PPE)
    • physicians

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