Physician Deaths from Covid-19

How many physicians who are treating Covid-19 patients have died?

A report from medrxiv from April 8 gives us an answer. The study has not been peer-reviewed. However, the information has a value at the present as it may save lives.

An internet search was used to obtain news reports for all physicians who have died all over the world.

Pre-existing medical morbidities were not uniformly reported and thus not included here. Physicians who were infected from traveling abroad were not included. The date of the reports ranged from February 7, 2020, to April 5, 2020.

193 physician deaths related to COVID-19 infection due to front-line work were obtained.

Results

Age

Physicians 57 years of age or older accounted for three-quarters of COVID-related deaths

The average age of the physicians that died was 63.4 years, median age 66.0 years (range 28 to 90 years) (Note: The age details were missing for 49 individuals.)

Sex

Male (175/194) – 90 %

Specialties of Physicians Who Died Worldwide

1. General practitioners and emergency room doctors (78/192) – 40.62 %
2. Internal medicine specialists (11/192) – 5.7 %
3. Dentists (9/192) – 4.6 %
4. ENT (8/192), 4%
5. Ophthalmologists (7/192) 3.6 %
6. Anesthesiologists (6/192) 3.1 % 
7. Respirologists (Pulmonologists) (5/192) – 2.6 %
8. Infectious disease specialists (4/192), 2 %
9. Epidemiologists (4/192) – 2 %

The high mortality among the general practitioners could be secondary to the lack of proper PPE. They are the ones most likely to be exposed to patients that may have early symptoms but have not been tested. The SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates rapidly during the asymptomatic stage and thru the first 5 days on the infection.

Read: Asymptomatic is not Always what it Seems

Emergency room physicians work in an area with a high concentration of Covid-19 patients. The hours are long and stressful, and there can be no breaks. They can also be exposed to aerosols during intubation.

The Covid-19 virus can stay suspended in the air for 3 hours.

Read SARS-CoV-2 Contamination in the Hospital Setting,

How Long does the Covid-19 Virus Float in the Air and Stay on Surface?

Dentists use tools that can aerosolize the virus and may work near an unknown Covid-19 patients

ENTs, Eye doctors, and anesthesiologists also work very closely with the patient’s face, and even talking can transmit viruses in the air.

Can Talking Spread Viruses?

You Can Become Infected by the Coronavirus Thru the Eyes!

Countries with the most Physicians who Died

1. Italy (79/198) – 41.15%
2. Iran (43/198) – 22.4 %
3. China (16/198) –  8.33%
4. Philippines (14/198) – 7.29%
5. United States (9/192) – 4.6 %
6. Indonesia (7/192) – 3.64 %

The health policies of  Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan saved their doctors. Travel restrictions, strict enforcement of quarantines, and widespread testing contained the epidemic in their respective countries.

Lack of Personal Protective Equipment Common to All

Many doctors in different countries have decried the lack of PPE. Italy, Chicago, Washington, New York, Philippines, Iran, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

There were no complaints of PPE lack in China. Probably because there was still no lack because of PPEs at the beginning of the epidemic.

China was reported to have bought PPEs from all over the world in the initial outbreak that is why they didn’t have shortages.

Recommendations by the Authors to Prevent Physician deaths

1. Proper PPE with meticulous precautions on wearing and removal.
2. Passport checks to make sure patients are not lying about their travel histories. Some doctors were exposed to patients who lied about their travel histories.
3. Senior physicians and those with comorbidities ideally should not be assigned to front-line work with COVID-19 patients. Still, they can be assigned duties such as video or phone assessments, consulting, or public liaison.
4. Italian physicians have suggested that a community-centered or home care system for COVID-19 rather than a hospital-focused system might decrease the transmission of disease and physician exposure.

I will add that all patients, whether they have symptoms or not, should be considered as Covid-19 patients until proven otherwise. Thus, appropriate Protective Protective Equipment should be worn by all physicians at all times.

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Don’t Get Sick!

Related reads:

1. Can Talking Spread Viruses?

2. How Long Can the Covid-19 Virus Survive in Common Surfaces?

3. 5 Reasons why Covid-19 Spreads Fast

4. New Study Explains the Rapid Spread of Covid-19

5. The Secondary Attack Rate of Covid-19

6. Walking Coronavirus Pneumonia Can Spread the Disease

7. Thermometer Guns are Inaccurate for Covid-19 Screening

8. SARS-CoV-2 Contamination in the Hospital Setting

9. 10 Reasons Why the Wuhan Coronavirus Pneumonia is a Nightmare

10. The Proper Use of a Personal Protective Equipment Against Infections

11. You Can Become Infected by the Coronavirus Thru the Eyes!

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