Burn centers worked safely during the COVID-19 pandemic when paying special attention to precautions mandated by the national and global health authorities, according to a study published in Burns Open that aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on epidemiological features, burn agent, burn percentages, and hospitalization time in a burn center. However, the increase in pandemic burden put burn centers at risk for being converted into alternate COVID-19 facilities. In such cases, the researchers note, the care of burn patients may pose a great problem. The single-center, retrospective study included 401 patients admitted to a study center between October 2019 and July 2020. Patients who were admitted before March 1, 2020 were considered the pre-March group, with those admitted after that date considered the post-March group. Participants were further divided into those aged 18 or younger and those older than 18. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, burn agent, burn surface area, COVID-19 status, and treatment and follow-up data were recorded. The study team found no significant difference in the number of patient admissions, age, and sex of patients, burn agents, and length of hospital stay before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
