Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Manuscript Submission by Women to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far-reaching consequences, occasionally amplifying preexisting disparities. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) manuscript submissions by female authors. Methods: All manuscripts submitted to PRS during the months of March and April of 2018 through 2021 were examined. Gender of the first, corresponding, and senior authors was confirmed using Gender API; the country of the author was abstracted; and appropriate statistical comparisons were made. Results: There were 2512 submissions to PRS during the study period, with a statistically significant increase observed between 2019 and 2020 (P = 0.008). Despite this significant increase, the proportion of publications by female corresponding and senior authors decreased significantly with the onset of the pandemic (P < 0.001 for both). This decrease was mirrored by a significant increase in the proportion of male senior and corresponding author publications (P < 0.001 for both) and female first author publications (P = 0.002). Conclusions: Despite a significant increase in overall submissions to PRS during the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion submitted by senior and corresponding female authors declined. Although causality cannot be determined by the authors’ methodology, their findings suggest a disproportionate burden on senior female authors during the pandemic with unclear academic repercussions.