What You Should Know:
– New COVID-19 Trend Report created by Sermo displays states/regions that have reached or passed the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic based on physician reports.
– The COVID-19 Real Time Barometer Study provides exclusive access into the perspectives and expertise of over 20,000 total physicians across 30 countries, tracked over time.
– Majority of physicians in many COVID-19 Hotspots including Korea, Spain, China and Italy believe their countries have passed or reached outbreak peak.
Around the globe, countries are looking to identify when they have passed or reached peak COVID-19 outbreak to help determine when to lift social distancing restrictions and reopen their economies. The latest results from the Sermo COVID-19 Real Time Barometer of over 5,900 global physicians found that as of April 23rd, physicians in Korea (95%), Spain (92%), China (91%), Italy (89%), Belgium (88%), France (86%) and Greece (84%) believe their countries have passed or reached outbreak peak.
This is a stark comparison to the United States, where only 52% (April 23) of physicians believe the country has passed or reached its outbreak peak. Interestingly, when asked the same question on April 2, 66% of U.S. physicians believed that the country was only three to four weeks from reaching or passing outbreak peak.
What is the Sermo Real Time COVID-19 Barometer Study?
The COVID-19 Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported via physicians’ first-hand observations. All doctors are licensed verified physicians in 30 countries. The Barometer reports new medical and market research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.
Peak Timing by Region
While an increasing percentage of physicians in previously-reported “hot zones” including New York (85%), New Jersey (72%) and Michigan (70%) believe their states have reached or passed outbreak peak, physicians in many states across the U.S. are still predicting more time is needed. Only 53% of physicians in California, 45% in Pennsylvania, 42% in Texas, 40% in Georgia and 37% in Arizona believe their states have passed or reached peak as of April 23rd.
Recommend Restriction Lifting
Globally, physicians remain conservative in terms of when they recommend restrictions should be lifted. Sermo found that as of April 23, only 19% of physicians in Korea, 34% in Spain, 41% in China, 37% in Italy, 52% in Belgium, 18% in France and 52% in Greece recommend restrictions be lifted within the next two weeks. This tracks with sentiment among physicians in the US where only 27% recommend lifting restrictions in the next two weeks, 66% in three to eight plus weeks and 7% are unsure of when restrictions should be lifted.
“Sermo’s latest findings represent the voice of physicians around the COVID-19 outbreak peak. Physicians have frontline views on timing to lift restrictions; the ability to amplify the voices of physicians globally provides a unique opportunity for healthcare providers and policymakers in the U.S. to learn from other countries,” said Peter Kirk, CEO, Sermo. “Our hope is that the insights and recommendations of physicians globally at the local level, can play an important role in helping the U.S. make informed decisions as we look to reopen the economy and determine best practices for easing safer at home orders.”
In total, Sermo’s COVID-19 Real Time Barometer observational study has polled over 20,000 physicians in 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia.
For more information on previous waves, visit below:
WAVE 3 (APRIL 6 – APRIL 9)
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WAVE 2 (MARCH 30 – APRIL 2)
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WAVE 1 (MARCH 25 – MARCH 27)
