Impact of COVID-19 on otolaryngology head & neck speciality and residency program in Saudi Arabia

The SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), has rapidly swept worldwide since its identification in December 2019. As the spread of the disease accelerated both in Wuhan and elsewhere globally, the WHO declared it a pandemic. There is sound evidence to argue that otolaryngologists run high risks of occupational SARS-COV2 among health care workers due to high viral load in upper respiratory examinations. This review article was conducted to determine the effect of the COVID 19 pandemic on the otolaryngology department and residency program in Saudi Arabia. Since the pandemic outbreak, the government of Saudi Arabia has taken severe measures and issued several decisions to limit the spread of the virus. These decisions included operations, procedures, outpatient clinics by prioritizing emergency and time-sensitive cases while rescheduling all electives and routines once. As a result, the residency program was also affected by the substantial reduction of daily surgical activity and preventing endoscopic tests in the clinics, which led to a notable decrease in residents' involvement and risk of procedural skills deterioration which became a concern to many doctors of residency programs. It is difficult to deny that the epidemic will negatively impact. However, adhering to well-prepared guidelines and giving residents an excellent opportunity to overcome the defects will deliver training and patients' care while also protecting safety and health.