About 7.2 percent of spine surgeons said they wouldn't reveal that they had COVID-19 to their patients, according to a survey published in Global Spine Journal.
Researchers surveyed 902 spine surgeons in seven global regions to discover how COVID-19 affected them.
Four findings:
1. About 36.8 percent of spine surgeons reported a COVID-19-related comorbidity.
2. Of patients who underwent viral testing, 15.8 percent tested positive for COVID-19, and while most would disclose they were infected, 7.2 percent said they wouldn't disclose the infection to patients.
3. Seventy-six percent of spine surgeons said the health of their family was their greatest stressor, while 50.4 percent said their practice did not have adequate personal protective equipment.
4. About 82.3 percent of spine surgeons said COVID-19 would change their practice permanently, and 94.7 percent called for the development of formal, international guidelines to manage COVID-19 patients.
Read the whole study here.