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COVID-19 has affected the world in ways that none of us could have fathomed. Everything that we have traditionally taken for granted—community, social gathering, sports, entertainment, and yes medicine—has been completely upended. We have witnessed an incredible spirit and desire to help others during this pandemic, which led us to the easy decision to dedicate an entire special edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) to COVID-19.
There is no facet of our medical world which has not been affected, and this virus does not differentiate between private practice, academic, or hospital-employed models. Therefore, in this special edition, we will highlight critically important topics including transitioning to telehealth visits, restructuring of educational curricula, changes in clinical practice, the financial impacts on the business of medicine, and special attention on the ethics of the pandemic and how it has affected us all. We would like to specifically thank the authors of these articles for working rapidly to provide them to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons during a difficult time in their own practices.
It is our profound hope that this special edition will provide clear, concise guidelines that will help us all navigate an unfathomable scenario. Furthermore, this issue will provide some insights into how the post-COVID world may have improvements that are far-reaching. We hope that you all are safe, healthy, and come out on the other side of this pandemic even stronger than before. Best wishes to you, your families, teams, and patients during this difficult time.
