The COVID-19 pandemic is spurring a wave of broken toes and other foot-related injuries, podiatrists and orthopedists told The Washington Post.
"There's a pandemic of broken toes," John Keeling, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Chevy Chase, Md., told the Post.
Dr. Keeling estimated his office has seen three or four times the number of patients with broken toes since the pandemic started.
Ben Pearl, MD, a podiatrist in Arlington, Va., said he's also seen more broken toes at his practice. He said he believes the increase is due to people spending more time at home during the pandemic.
Dr. Keeling identified Zoom working meetings and online schooling as another contributing factor.
"They're going around with either stocking or bare feet, and in the haste to get to the next meeting, they bump into the furniture," he said of some patients.
People may have also rearranged their furniture to create makeshift workstations in their homes, which could also explain some of the injuries, according to the Post.
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