- Title
- COVID-19 social-distancing measures altered the epidemiology of facial injury: a United Kingdom-Australia comparative study
- Creator
- Hoffman, G. R.; Walton, G. M.; Narelda, P.; Qiu, M. M.; Alajami, A
- Relation
- British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Vol. 59, Issue 4, p. 454-459
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2020.09.006
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- The purpose of this study was to undertake a retrospective cross-sectional analysis to compare the frequency and characteristics of facial injury presentations at a UK and an Australian tertiary referral hospital during the implementation of COVID-19 social-distancing measures. The primary predictor variables were a heterogeneous set of factors grouped into logical categories: demographics, injury mechanisms and site, and management. The primary outcome variable was the presentation of a hard or soft tissue facial injury. A descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken on the assembled data. The study found a clinical and statistically significant reduction in the frequency (absolute number) of facial injuries at each study site. In addition, a striking similarity common in both countries was an increase in the number of facial injuries due to falls and a reduction in facial injuries due to interpersonal violence. Conservative (non-operative) management of facial injury increased at both sites. The implementation of COVID-19 social-distancing public health measures, which aimed to limit community transmission of the coronavirus, had a secondary serendipitous effect of reducing the frequency of facial injury presentations and altering their epidemiological characteristics at both a UK and Australian tertiary referral hospital.
- Subject
- covid-19; social distancing; epidemiology; facial injury; public health; SDG 3; SDG 16; Sustainable Development Goals
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1463908
- Identifier
- uon:46866
- Identifier
- ISSN:0266-4356
- Language
- eng
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