As discussions on whether to mask or not to mask become political—physicians have spoken and they say: wear them! 88% of physicians surveyed as part of Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer survey, conducted with over 3,000 physicians across 31 countries from June 29 – July 1, say that they recommended wearing masks to all of their patients.
Check out these other key findings from the latest Barometer Study.
Younger patients are presenting with Covid-19
Nearly half (46%) of the physicians surveyed say that younger working-aged adults (21-50) are making up an increasing share of the percentage of the COVID-19 patients they are seeing. In particular, the 31-40 age group seems to be making up the largest share of this increase.
These are younger adults who are testing positive for the disease, a trend that appears to be increasing more as states begin to lift restrictions on businesses and restaurants and working-aged adults return to work and social gatherings.
Older patients, those over 51, are still being treated the most, but that number is declining.
US physicians are changing their perspectives on peak timing and are hesitant about reopening plans
When asked about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, 66% of U.S. physicians surveyed feel their respective regions have reached the peak/or are past the peak of the virus. This is a considerable change from the Barometer survey fielded on May 26th, when 74% said they were at or past the peak.
Furthermore, while most physicians surveyed feel moderately confident about their state’s plans to reopen, many of those same respondents feel that their states are reopening too quickly (38%) and social distancing restrictions are too lax (42%).
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate (when the time comes): the majority of physicians say yes!
And while healthcare workers have also become more knowledgeable about treatment options and techniques to combat the coronavirus and its effects, most doctors say they would be willing to recommend an FDA-approved vaccine. However, more needs to be known about the mechanism of such a vaccine, its risks and appropriate patients.
Physicians asked, “if available within the next 6-9 months, how likely would you be to recommend an FDA approved vaccine”, more than half of physicians said they were likely to recommend vaccinations across various age groups. For example, 78% say they were likely to recommend vaccination to patients over 65 with underlying health conditions, and 65% say they would recommend it to healthy patients, aged 40-64.
Interested in learning more about the Real Time COVID-19 Barometer?
To see the complete survey data and methodology, click here. The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians who are active participants in the Sermo community provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 58,700 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, and Australia.
