National Trends in US Otolaryngology Surgical Volume During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Anirudh Saraswathula, Christine G. Gourin, C. Matthew Stewart
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in tectonic shifts in the delivery of American health care, including surgical care. In the early days of the pandemic, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recommended that surgeons "postpone nonessential surgeries and other procedures," 1 a recommendation endorsed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Emergency declarations by many states to suspend elective procedures resulted in an abrupt cessation of surgery in the US in March 2020.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Pandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakOtorhinolaryngologySevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Volume (thermodynamics)MedicineVirologyOutbreakInternal medicineSurgeryInfectious disease (medical specialty)DiseasePhysicsQuantum mechanicsCOVID-19 and healthcare impactsTracheal and airway disordersTelemedicine and Telehealth Implementation