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The Physical and Mental Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers

Krishna Deep Amaravadi

Indiana Wesleyan University

COVID-19 has infected a number of individuals nationally and internationally, and there have been countless deaths as a result of this crisis. These statistics have been growing at an alarming rate. The COVID-19 is generating emotional and behavioral problems in a significant proportion of individuals around the globe. The healthcare professionals seem to be under a tremendous amount of stress and burnout (Vizheh et al., 2020). Healthcare professionals and associated medical professionals have been constantly exposed to both physical and psychological pressure and stress. Hospital workers participating throughout the COVID-19 global epidemic response are frequently committed to working under exceptionally stressful circumstances, continuing to put them at an enhanced risk of developing mental and physical health related issues. Many health care workers have continued to work exceptionally long hour shifts in high-pressure circumstances all throughout COVID-19 pandemic (Greenberg, 2020).

The COVID-19 outbreak has imposed an unexpected pressure on the worldwide health community (Vindrola-Padros et al., 2020). Hospital Workers may have also been vulnerable to emotional stress and experienced ethical dilemmas as a result of these inexplicable circumstances (Greenberg, 2020). The demand for healthcare personnel is escalating whenever catastrophic epidemiological outbreaks emerge (Vizheh et al., 2020). Continuously increasing disease rates, rapidly growing mortality rate, unavailability of highly specialized treatments or immunization, pretty significant responsibilities, and concerns of inadequate protection could all make a significant contribution to the stress and pressure of these health care workers (Vizheh et al., 2020). The challenges that healthcare personnel are actually experiencing are comparatively higher than those that people experience in regular professional jobs, it is therefore understandable that heroism has indeed been referenced to applaud workers for their efforts (Cox, 2020). Nevertheless, such a narrative seems to have the potential to cause serious harm.

The covid-19 outbreak has put healthcare workers around the world in an unimaginable predicament, causing professionals to deal with different situations and operate under tremendous pressure (Greenberg et al, 2020). All those circumstances can sometimes include how to administer insufficient resources to equally eligible patients, how to balance their own physical and mental health requirements with those of patient populations, how to incorporate their willingness and responsibility to patients with those to friends and family members, as well as how to care for all seriously disabled patients with low or insufficient supplies (Greenberg et al, 2020). Occasionally healthcare workers may suffer psychological harm or mental health conditions as a consequence of this (Greenberg et al, 2020).

In Figure 1 below, health care workers were asked to participate in an online questionnaire, which has been launched in two phases between April 2 and May 4, 2020 (Vanhaecht et al., 2021). This questionnaire was launched in order to identify the support sources healthcare workers had during the covid-19 pandemic. Survey participants have said that they have the most effective interactions with their partners, work colleagues, and peers outside of work (Vanhaecht et al., 2021). Survey participants have also had positive social media interactions with other healthcare practitioners and fellow employees (Vanhaecht et al., 2021). Online tools seem to be at the lower end of the spectrum of support resources (Vanhaecht et al., 2021). Furthermore, only a smaller proportion of respondents indicated they'd had a positive conversation with a psychiatrist or medical professional, and while approximately four out of five stated they didn't really feel the need for one, a substantial percentage mentioned they needed one and had not been able to (Vanhaecht et al., 2021).

Figure 1:

Sources of Support of Health Care Workers During Covid-19

Note: This figure outlines the Sources of Support of Health Care Workers During Covid-19. From “COVID-19 is having a destructive impact on health-care workers’ mental well-being” Vanhaecht, K., Seys, D., Bruyneel, L., Cox, B., Kaesemans, G., Cloet, M., ... & Claes, S. (2021, International Journal for Quality in Health Care, p. 158.)

Physical Implications:

Healthcare workers who interact with COVID-19 patients may be at a heightened risk of becoming infected and, as a result, encounter the possibility of endangering their family members (Greenberg, 2020). Running out of Personal protection equipment was indeed a significant concern, exposing Health care workers and care recipients to the constant threat of infection (Hoernke et al., 2021). Because there were constraints, implementing professional guidelines was sometimes extremely difficult, necessitating protective clothing and equipment to be recycled and repurposed (Hoernke et al., 2021). Uncertainty and confusion arose as a consequence of continuously fluctuating regulations (Hoernke et al., 2021). Protection was only available in high-risk crucial care environments, leaving healthcare staff operating in other settings feeling extremely vulnerable (Hoernke et al., 2021).

Mental Implications:

Mental health disorders such as post-traumatic distress, grief, various emotional problems, and suicidal behavior are expected to rise significantly among healthcare workers from these unprecedented circumstances (Greenberg, 2020).

Figure 2:

Healthcare Workers Anxiety from Previous and Current Outbreaks

Note: This figure outlines the mean anxiety score of healthcare workers from different disease outbreaks. From “The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers in a MERS-CoV endemic country” Temsah, M. H., Al-Sohime, F., Alamro, N., Al-Eyadhy, A., Al-Hasan, K., Jamal, A., ... & Somily, A. M. (2020, Journal of infection and public health, p. 877-882.)

In Figure 2 above, health care workers from a tertiary care teaching hospital were requested to answer a questionnaire regarding their fears and anxieties about the coronavirus pandemic (Temsah et al., 2020). The control and prevention techniques used during the hospital for MERS CoV were implemented for COVID-19, however health care workers expressed substantially higher levels of psychological distress from COVID-19 than from MERS-CoV or seasonal flu (Temsah et al., 2020). COVID-19 is a fastest emerging viral infection with undetermined transmissibility, frequency of spread, and extent of information associated with it, therefore contributing to the high amount of anxiety and pressure (Temsah et al., 2020).

Conclusion:

Addressing healthcare professionals' general wellbeing should indeed be an essential requirement of the public health approach. During the global epidemic, health care organizations should emphasize the importance of acknowledging the perspectives and considerations of front-line personnel (Vindrola-Padros et al., 2020). During the COVID-19 epidemic, it is strongly urged that consistent and coherent policies and procedures be implemented, as well as accelerated testing of health care providers, provision of personal protective equipment, and acknowledgment of the potential consequences of using protective gear on everyday practice (Vindrola-Padros et al., 2020).

Despite numerous difficulties such as inadequate training, insufficient Personal protection equipment, and contradictory guidance, frontline Health care workers managed to continue to diagnose and treat patients (Hoernke et al., 2021). Frontline Healthcare practitioners require adequate Protection, instructions including its effectiveness, plus comprehensive and coherent guidelines in order to more effectively treat patients during the COVID-19 outbreak (Hoernke et al., 2021). These guidelines should be followed in order to ensure the health and well-being of the COVID-19 pandemic's most significant and vital asset, which is Health care workers (Hoernke et al., 2021).

As we navigate this and various public health emergency situations, the knowledge accumulated from the COVID-19 outbreak could perhaps assist decision-makers at any and all levels of the organization, healthcare administrators, and the communities in encouraging ability and willingness to safeguard healthcare workers (Shechter et al, 2020). These observations could have an impact on guidelines at other organizations if and when they are confronted with an increase in numbers of COVID-19 patients and the community (Shechter et al, 2020).

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