Background/Purpose: The novel coronavirus SARS2-COV-2 has precipitated the present outbreak of COVID-19, the worldwide spread has strong impact on general population and on healthcare workers. The objective of the present study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Argentinian rheumatologists. Also to describe the current employment situation of the specialty.

Methods: A voluntary survey was carried out by e-mail to Argentine Society of Rheumatology (SAR) associates, during the mandatory preventive isolation (quarantine) ordered in Argentina by the national state (March 18^th, 2020). After a brief explanation, the physicians were invited to join a fully anonymous online closed survey and the access link was sent. A 27-items survey was designed and developed by the authors. Transferred to STATA 14 for analysis: descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney or T-test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test or Chi2 for categorical ones, p 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: More than one thousand physicians registered in SAR were invited. Responses were collected from April 22^nd to May 22^nd, 2020, (days: 34-64 the of quarantine). For the final analysis, 272 were included.

Women 65.59%, median age 44 years (ICR 38-52). Most (85.03%) lives in big cities (more than 100,000 h). 9.68% were in trainee. Only 17 rheumatologist (6.09%) works exclusively at public sector. 

In total, 96.06% of the physicians has been in virtual contact with patients, the most frequent via was WhatsApp (78.8%). The most frequent reason was: request medical prescription (81.8%), 90% (RIC 70-100) were able to obtain medications in digital format, although 52.7% contacted again for same reason. Of the large number of non-face-to-face consultations, only in 5% (RIC 0-40) have received payment. On average, reported a 65% drop (RIC 50-80) in their monthly income.

The 34% reported having had some change in their job functions, 30% were assigned to COVID-19 patient care. A similar proportion has had, unilaterally by their employer, decrease in their workload, and even nine have lost a job in this period. Only 57.66% reported having the proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

About 40% of the population of the country lives in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires  (AMBA), being this one´s that concentrates the largest number of cases of patients with SARS2-COV-2 infection (at the time of conducting the survey and of making this report). Sub-analysis: 43.7% of the physicians were from AMBA and 56.3% from others regions. Before the quarantine, outside AMBA have a greater number of weekly outpatient clinic (average) [60 (RIC 40-80) vs 50 (RIC 30-70), p: 0.009] and currently the residents in AMBA have consultations [5 (RIC 2-10) vs 10 (RIC 3-15) p: 0.03]. Outside AMBA report a greater drop in their monthly income [70% (RIC 50-90) vs. 50% (RIC 30-80) p: 0.004].

Conclusion: The lack of safe and effective systems to virtual consultations make rheumatology patients unable to continue with the adequate follow-up. The deteriorated quality of work and poor payment of doctors in Argentina is deepened at the moment, sharing with much of the rest of the world’s doctors the lack of PPE to perform tasks related to the pandemic.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/labor-impact-of-sars-cov-2-pandemic-in-argentine-rheumatologists/