Impact of COVID 19 lockdown on orthopaedic surgeons in India: A survey

Background: In the fight against COVID 19, the government of India announced a 3 weeks lockdown of the entire country of 1.3 billion people on 24th March 2020. Methods: One week after the lockdown was announced, we conducted an anonymous online survey of the orthopaedic surgeons in India through social media platforms to assess the impact of the lockdown during COVID 19. The survey had a total of 13 questions with (3-5) options and was designed with an aim to understand the perception and the state of mind of the Orthopaedic surgeons in the lockdown situation. Results: The survey was completed by 611 orthopaedic surgeons from 140 cities in India. There were 22.5% orthopaedic surgeons who said that they were definitely stressed out, and 40.5% who said they were mildly stressed out. As the age decreased, the percentage of orthopaedic surgeons feeling "definitely stressed out" increased. Disruption of life-work balance and uncertainties regarding return to work were other strongly associated factors with the "definitely stressed out" group. Conclusion: The psychological impact of the lockdown during COVID 19 on orthopaedic surgeons may become a potential concern that will require addressal through open discussion. Level of evidence: diagnostic level 4.