The impact of COVID-19 on surgical practice in Jordan during the second outbreak: A survey()

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an acute respiratory pandemic with no available effective antiviral treatment or widely available effective vaccine. Surgical practice has faced widespread problems due to the pandemic including viral transmission risk and cross-infection, staffing problems, prioritizations of surgical procedures, and lack of beds due to occupancy of hospitals and ICU beds with COVID-19 patients. METHODS: A survey was conducted between October 31 to November 4, 2020, through google forms. The questionnaire involved 16 questions sent to consultants and specialists of all general and special surgical specialties and subspecialties in Jordan. RESULTS: We have got responses from surgeons of all public and private sectors in Jordan. There was a pronounced decline in the number of elective and emergency procedures performed during October 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic related reasons. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of COVID-19 on the surgical practice in Jordan during October 2020 was moderate to prominent. Measures that could be made to alleviate this impact include the assignment of certain hospitals for covid-19 patients as a step before the establishment of field hospitals and the cooperation between the private and the public health sectors.