Physician deaths from COVID-19 have been lower than expected

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Over 100 US physicians have died from COVID-19.
• Physicians represent approximately 0.33% of the US population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if US physicians face an elevated risk of COVID-19-related mortality.
• To evaluate occupational exposure risks for physicians during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Physician COVID-19 deaths were identified via Medscape In Memoriam and internet searches.
• Physician death rates were compared against expected rates in the general US population.

Main Results:

• As of October 7, 2020, 108 US physicians had died from COVID-19.
• Observed physician deaths were 16% of the 693 expected deaths based on general population rates.
• Most deaths occurred in physicians over 60, with many retired from clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• Physician COVID-19 mortality rates were significantly lower than anticipated.
• Effective use of personal protective equipment is a likely factor in the reduced mortality observed among physicians.