About 94 percent of Korean doctors feel the risk of infection by Covid-19, according to a survey of 400 physicians by Keymedi, a medical and academic portal.

Asked how likely the new coronavirus will infect them, 31.5 percent answered “very likely,” 36.3 percent replied “likely,” 26.5 percent said “so-so.” Some 5 percent of respondents said “unlikely,” and 0.2 percent, “very unlikely.”

A recent survey of 400 doctors shows many of them feel the risk of infection of Covid-19 and have concerns about financial difficulties in operating medical institutions. (Keymedi)

The opinion poll was conducted to see how Covid-19 has changed the daily lives of doctors and business environments of hospitals and clinics.

Among doctors who participated in the survey, 53 percent worked at hospitals, 27 percent at clinics, and 15 percent at public health centers. Their workplaces were evenly distributed throughout the nation.

More than 88 percent of respondents said that they have been following the Covid-19 infection precautions well. Only less than 1 percent answered they have not been abiding by the guidelines.

Asked about the difficulties in managing hospitals and clinics caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, 33.8 percent said “very serious,” and another 33.8 percent answered “serious.” In comparison, 29.8 percent answered “somewhat serious.” Only 2 percent of the participants responded that the Covid-19 had “no serious impacts” on their institutions’ operation.

Physicians also showed anxiety about aggravating financial problems in their medical facilities.

To a question about the adverse effects the expected financial difficulties will have on their workplaces, 40.6 percent pointed to “restructuring such as the dismissal of employees and unemployment,” followed by 30.1 percent who foresaw “no significant change,” and 21.9 percent who cited “high possibility of a shutdown.”

The survey also found 59.8 percent of doctors attended online academic conferences or training courses.

About 78 percent of doctors who attended virtual conferences said they were satisfied. In comparison, only 47 percent of those who had no online symposium experience showed expectations for such events. “The responses indicate satisfaction with actual participation in online conferences is higher than expectant satisfaction.

“Keymedi aims to be a place of lifelong learning where practitioners can produce and share medical knowledge more easily and conveniently. We will continue to make efforts to deliver quality medical information,” said Kim Myung-jin, CEO of Keydoc, which operates the portal.

shim531@docdocdoc.co.kr

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