The impact of COVID-19 on surgical activity

Aim  This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on surgical activity in a Model 3 Hospital.  Methods  A retrospective, observational study assessing data collected over a 3-month period (February to April) in 2019 and 2020.  Results  There was an overall reduction in surgical activity between 2019 and 2020. This impact was felt most acutely in the month of April where elective theatre and endoscopy procedures fell from 131 to 9 (93%) and 399 to 102 (74%) respectively. The number of emergency department admissions reduced from 534 to 408 (24%) and the number requiring surgical intervention fell from 166 to 122 (27%). Attendance at surgical outpatients fell from 1,211 to 677 (44%) between the 2019 and 2020. In April, attendance reduced from 456 to 52 (86%).  Discussion  This study has quantified the reduction in surgical department activity in our Model 3 Hospital. This reduction in scheduled and non-scheduled care could be extrapolated nationally to inform service planning, which will become increasingly challenged unless action to address the service deficit is taken soon.</p

Observation of the Gamma-Ray Binary HESS J0632+057 with the HESS, MAGIC, and VERITAS Telescopes

The results of gamma-ray observations of the binary system HESS J0632 + 057 collected during 450 hr over 15 yr, between 2004 and 2019, are presented. Data taken with the atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS at energies above 350 GeV were used together with observations at X-ray energies obtained with Swift-XRT, Chandra, XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and Suzaku. Some of these observations were accompanied by measurements of the Hα emission line. A significant detection of the modulation of the very high-energy gamma-ray fluxes with a period of 316.7 4.4 days is reported, consistent with the period of 317.3 0.7 days obtained with a refined analysis of X-ray data. The analysis of data from four orbital cycles with dense observational coverage reveals short-timescale variability, with flux-decay timescales of less than 20 days at very high energies. Flux variations observed over a timescale of several years indicate orbit-to-orbit variability. The analysis confirms the previously reported correlation of X-ray and gamma-ray emission from the system at very high significance, but cannot find any correlation of optical Hα parameters with fluxes at X-ray or gamma-ray energies in simultaneous observations. The key finding is that the emission of HESS J0632 + 057 in the X-ray and gamma-ray energy bands is highly variable on different timescales. The ratio of gamma-ray to X-ray flux shows the equality or even dominance of the gamma-ray energy range. This wealth of new data is interpreted taking into account the insufficient knowledge of the ephemeris of the system, and discussed in the context of results reported on other gamma-ray binary systems