Editor-in-Chief Hatice Kübra Elçioğlu Vice Editors Levent Kabasakal Esra Tatar Online ISSN 2630-6344 Publisher Marmara University Frequency Bimonthly (Six issues / year) Abbreviation J.Res.Pharm. Former Name Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal
Journal of Research in Pharmacy 2021 , Vol 25 , Issue 6
COVID-19 pandemic and the healthcare workers- The call of duty
Shaib MUHAMMAD1,Geeta KUMARI1,Narendar KUMAR1,Rafia TABASSUM2,Muhammad Saleh KHASKHELI2,Jabbar ABBAS3,Razia SULTANA3,Sadaf Hayat LAGHARI4
1Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
2Department of Anaesthesiology, SICU and Pain Centre, Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazirabad, Pakistan
3Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women, Nawabshah, Shaheed Benazirabad, Pakistan
4College of Pharmacy, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan
DOI : 10.29228/jrp.90 COVID-19 is the current topic of discussion globally as people are getting affected by it on a huge scale. This study is focused to determine the concerns and perceptions of healthcare workers (HCWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their mental health, routine work, family and social life. Study was conducted at various health care facilities of Sindh, Pakistan, from October to December 2020 (three months). An online survey questionnaire consisting of fourteen closed-ended questions was designed in Google Forms and circulcalted among the HCWs through email and social media. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS 24 and descriptive statistical tools were used to measure the frequencies and the Chi-square test was applied among correlated variables. Among 412 respondents, majority of the participants were male (54.6%) and young with 18-28 years of age (47.3%). Two-third of HCWs were highly concerned about their family’s health versus own health (67.7% vs 44.7% respectively) and 157 (38.1%) were emotionally distressed. It was also found that HCWs with assigned duties in the isolation wards were more emotionally distressed (56.2% high to very high) compared to those not working in isolation units (45.3% high to very high). More than half of HCWs (51.9%) reported that their family life was also disturbed. Our findings indicate that COVID-19 pandemic has a significant psychological impact on frontline soldiers (HCWs) particularly they were worried about family’s health. The HCWs who were assigned duties in isolation units were more emotionally distressed than those who were not assigned duties in isolation wards. Keywords : COVID-19; health worry; healthcare workers; emotional distress; pandemic
Marmara University