Survey of COVID-19 Disease Among Orthopaedic Surgeons in Wuhan, People's Republic of China

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan, the People's Republic of China, in December 2019 and now is a pandemic all around the world. Some orthopaedic surgeons in Wuhan were infected with COVID-19.

Methods: We conducted a survey to identify the orthopaedic surgeons who were infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to collect information such as social demographic variables, clinical manifestations, exposure history, awareness of the outbreak, infection control training provided by hospitals, and individual protection practices. To further explore the possible risk factors at the individual level, a 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted.

Results: A total of 26 orthopaedic surgeons from 8 hospitals in Wuhan were identified as having COVID-19. The incidence in each hospital varied from 1.5% to 20.7%. The onset of symptoms was from January 13 to February 5, 2020, and peaked on January 23, 8 days prior to the peak of the public epidemic. The suspected sites of exposure were general wards (79.2%), public places at the hospital (20.8%), operating rooms (12.5%), the intensive care unit (4.2%), and the outpatient clinic (4.2%). There was transmission from these doctors to others in 25% of cases, including to family members (20.8%), to colleagues (4.2%), to patients (4.2%), and to friends (4.2%). Participation in real-time training on prevention measures was found to have a protective effect against COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR], 0.12). Not wearing an N95 respirator was found to be a risk factor (OR, 5.20 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09 to 25.00]). Wearing respirators or masks all of the time was found to be protective (OR, 0.15). Severe fatigue was found to be a risk factor (OR, 4 [95% CI, 1 to 16]) for infection with COVID-19.

Conclusions: Orthopaedic surgeons are at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Common places of work could be contaminated. Orthopaedic surgeons have to be more vigilant and take more precautions to avoid infection with COVID-19.

Level of evidence: Diagnostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Fig. 1

Epidemic curve showing the date of onset of symptoms and of diagnosis of infected orthopaedic surgeons in Wuhan. The onset of symptoms was from January 13 to February 5, 2020, largely between January 15 and January 24, and peaked on January 23.