Lessons in flexibility from a general surgery program at the epicenter of the pandemic in New York City

New York City (NYC) evolved rapidly into the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. Throughout the month of March, cases of COVID-19 infection in NYC increased rapidly with 41,771 positive patients and 1,096 mortalities as of March 31.1 Infection among health care workers strained hospital systems by limiting the number providers available for patient care as institutions become overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. To preserve personal protective equipment (PPE), expand hospital bed capacity, and protect the safety of staff and patients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American College of Surgeons released guidelines recommending that all nonurgent surgical procedures be halted.
Source: Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Source Type: research