The Effect of COVID-19 on Diabetic Foot Ulcer Surgery at a Safety Net Hospital

COVID-19 significantly impacted various aspects of ulcer management at the clinic. The authors' wound clinic remained open on a limited basis, and the number of patients seen was markedly lower. After the restrictions were lifted, wound care visits remained significantly lower than the pre-pandemic level; the fear of COVID-19 had a lasting impact on the number of visits. The number of exostectomy and digit amputations has increased since the first year of the pandemic. Midfoot amputation and major amputation did not change much after the initial year of the pandemic, which may be due to death from COVID-19. The fear and death associated with COVID-19 affected wound care and continue to affect wound care and limb salvage, but determining the actual number affected is challenging.