SARS-CoV-2, surgeons and surgical masks

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Sciences

Background:

• The precise risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for surgeons remains unquantified.
• Surgeons face unique exposure risks due to their profession and individual factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the risk of COVID-19 infection among surgeons.
• To explore the effectiveness of facemasks in minimizing COVID-19 risk for surgeons.

Main Methods:

• A systematized review of MEDLINE was conducted, searching for studies on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly in surgical fields.
• Systematic reviews on facemask effectiveness against viral respiratory infections among HCWs were also identified and summarized.
• Data from 14 primary studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection in surgeons and 11 systematic reviews on facemask efficacy were synthesized.

Main Results:

• The exact COVID-19 risk for surgeons could not be precisely quantified.
• Approximately 14% of HCWs, including surgeons, contracted COVID-19, with variations based on setting.
• Facemasks demonstrated some protective effect against COVID-19, but HCW compliance varied significantly (0-100%).

Conclusions:

• While precise quantification is lacking, a notable percentage of surgeons were affected by COVID-19.
• Facemask use is recommended for surgeons to mitigate COVID-19 risk, aligning with surgical society guidelines.
• Variable compliance with facemask use highlights a challenge in preventing viral transmission in surgical settings.