Geospatial Distribution of Ophthalmologists Older than Age 60 Years Relative to the Prevalence of COVID-19

• Published in: Ophthalmic surgery, lasers & imaging Vol. 52; no. 10; pp. 556 - 559
• Main Authors: Rasendran, Chandruganesh, Haueisen, Alexander J., Wadhwa, Raoul, Singh, Rishi P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thorofare, NJ SLACK Incorporated 01.10.2021; Slack, Inc; SLACK INCORPORATED
• Subjects: Age; Colleges & universities; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 vaccines; Disease transmission; Exposure; Infections; Medical colleges; Medical personnel; Medical societies; Ophthalmology; Pandemics; Patients; Per capita; Physicians; Socioeconomic factors; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Workforce; Ohio; United States > US; Oklahoma; South Dakota; North Dakota; Idaho; Utah; New York City New York; Nevada
• ISSN: 2325-8160; 2325-8179; 2325-8179
• DOI: 10.3928/23258160-20210930-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases as of February 1, 2021 and the proportion of ophthalmologists in the United States older than age 60 years to provide a framework for successful vaccine distribution for the ophthalmology workforce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Association of American Medical Colleges ophthalmologist workforce dataset (from 2019) for each state was combined with John Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking data to determine exposure risk for ophthalmologists, especially those older than age 60 years. RESULTS: Of the 18,915 practicing ophthalmologists in the US, 37.6% are older than age 60 years. North Dakota (48.4%), Connecticut (46.8%), and Maine (46.7%) have the highest percentages. South Dakota (9,567), Utah (7,559), and Idaho (7,411) currently have the highest COVID-19 exposure burden per ophthalmologist older than age 60 years as of February 1, 2021. CONCLUSION: Care must be taken to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in a safe and proactive manner to ophthalmologists that face high exposure risk, both to ensure physician safety and ensure adequate care for the population they serve. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:556–559.]