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"Facing a lack of PPE, heavy media coverage, no clear way of how to treat patients, and a heavy workload, these front line workers “are at risk of developing psychological distress and other mental health symptoms,” according to a recent study by JAMA.
The study found that these workers were more prone to developing depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other signs of distress.
According to a paper from moral injury experts Rita Brock and HC Palmer, fighting coronavirus is “strikingly similar” to medicine on the battlefield."

15 Apr 2020

More than half of U.S. healthcare personnel infected with the new coronavirus likely contracted it via contact with an infected patient or coworker, new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest.

14 Apr 2020

As the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the country, Canada’s doctors and nurses have been working tirelessly to treat those infected and stem the virus’ spread.

But working long, gruelling shifts and lacking necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), frontline health care workers are feeling strained, with many expressing concerns that the pandemic is negatively impacting their mental health.

14 Apr 2020

"With the advent of COVID-19 in Pakistan, medical workers have been under physical and psychological pressure including high risk of infection, inadequate equipment for safety from contagion, isolation, exhaustion, and lack of contact with family. The severity is causing further mental health problems which not only effect medical workers’ decision making ability but could also have long term detrimental effect on their overall well-being. The unremitting stress medical health-care workers is experiencing could trigger psychological issues of anxiety, fear, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress symptoms, psychological distress, stigma and avoidance of contact, depressive tendencies, sleep disturbances, helplessness, interpersonal social isolation from family social support and concern regarding contagion exposure to their friends and family."

7 Apr 2020

"To our knowledge, this study is among the first to report the psychological symptoms of Chinese frontline HCWs in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with prior evidence [[5], [6], [7]], our results suggest frontline HCWs in Wuhan during the peak of the outbreak were under moderate to severe stress and many reported elevated anxiety and depression. Wuhan HCWs (vs. outreach), demonstrated greater vulnerability for stress and depression."

3 Apr 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, there are a mounting number of stories of hospitals across the country taking or threatening disciplinary action against healthcare workers who raise concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment. In particularly high demand and in short supply are N95 respirators, or face masks, that, if worn properly, filter out the majority of small particles in air and fluids, and can protect nurses and doctors on the job.

A federal agency whose mission is to help protect workers from health and safety risks could help protect medical workers from retaliation, even though a key law it enforces isn’t as strong as other whistleblower statutes. But that agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), hasn’t been particularly vocal during the current crisis.

2 Apr 2020