Influencing Factors on COVID-19 Infection Despite Protective Measures Among Orthopedic Residents: Air Ventilation and Contact Duration

Document Type : LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Authors

Orthopedic Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Despite all protective measures, the number of contacts and cumulative contact duration in the frontline screening seem to be the influencing factors. Three out 5 of our first year orthopedic residents showed symptoms of the disease 2-3 weeks after starting their tasks in the COVID-19 floor. Other residents that were only visiting patients in the COVID floor did not become symptomatic which also highlights the role of ventilation. We assumed that the ventilation in the Emergency Screening area was not as efficient as the COVID floors and ICUs because only the residents visiting patients in the frontline became symptomatic. The bright side of this scenario was that the symptoms were mild with no or minimal pathology on chest X-ray, which deemed unlikely if the protective measures were insufficient as mortalities were high among providers in the beginning of the crises.

Keywords

References

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The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery
Volume 8, Supplement 1
April 2020
Pages 310-312

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 April 2020
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2020
  • First Publish Date: 06 April 2020

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