ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Mar 2021
Multicenter Study Observational StudyEffect of the COVID-19 pandemic first wave and public policy on elective and emergency surgery provision in Southern Queensland.
Several public health initiatives in Australia were implemented in March 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19. The effect of these initiatives on surgical provision is unknown. The primary objective was to determine the effect of public health policies and surgical society guidelines implemented during the pandemic on elective and emergency caseload of surgical specialities operating within South East Queensland. ⋯ The public health initiatives and guidance implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced surgical specialties' elective caseload. However, emergency caseload was not affected to the same extent. This insight helps to guide resource allocation in future waves of the pandemic.