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    COVID-19 in the pre-pandemic period: a survey of the time commitment and perceptions of infectious diseases physicians in Australia and New Zealand

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    Author
    Foley, DA; Chew, R; Raby, E; Tong, SYC; Davis, JS
    Date
    2020-08-01
    Source Title
    Internal Medicine Journal
    Publisher
    WILEY
    University of Melbourne Author/s
    Tong, Steven
    Affiliation
    Doherty Institute
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Document Type
    Journal Article
    Citations
    Foley, D. A., Chew, R., Raby, E., Tong, S. Y. C. & Davis, J. S. (2020). COVID-19 in the pre-pandemic period: a survey of the time commitment and perceptions of infectious diseases physicians in Australia and New Zealand. INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, 50 (8), pp.924-930. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.14941.
    Access Status
    Access this item via the Open Access location
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/11343/254560
    DOI
    10.1111/imj.14941
    Open Access URL
    https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC7436897?pdf=render
    Abstract
    BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases (ID) physicians perform a pivotal role in directing the response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). AIM: To assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on workload and the perceptions of ID physicians regarding the national response in Australia and New Zealand in the pre-pandemic. METHODS: A survey of ID physicians in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken from 3 to 10 March 2020. Respondents were asked to estimate time spent on SARS-CoV-2-related activities in February and report their agreement with statements on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'. We also asked about the intended use of investigational agents. RESULTS: There were 214 respondents (36% of 600 eligible participants). The median workload due to SARS-CoV-2-related activities was 34% of one full-time equivalent (interquartile range 18-68%). Less than a quarter (50, 23%) of respondents had experience managing cases, while 33% (70) had experience preparing during similar pandemics. Nevertheless, 88% (188/213) believed they were well informed when giving testing and management advice, and 45% (95/212) believed their national response was well coordinated. Additionally, 41% (88/214) were worried about becoming infected through occupational exposure. Over half (116, 54%) the respondents intended to use lopinavir/ritonavir in confirmed cases of COVID-19 with severe disease. CONCLUSIONS: ID physicians spent a large proportion of time on SARS-CoV-2-related activities. Increased staffing is required to avoid burnout. Importantly, ID physicians feel well informed when giving advice. A national body should be established to co-ordinate response. Treatment efficacy trials are needed to clarify the utility of unproven treatments.

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