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. 2020 Aug;45(4):675-683.
doi: 10.1007/s10900-020-00845-5.

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Healthcare Workers in Italy: Results from a National E-Survey

Carla Felice  1 , Gian Luca Di Tanna  2 , Giacomo Zanus  3 , Ugo Grossi  4   5
Affiliations

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Healthcare Workers in Italy: Results from a National E-Survey

Carla Felice et al. J Community Health. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Italy has been the first-hit European country to face the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aim of this survey was to assess in depth the impact of the outbreak on healthcare workers (HCW). A 40-item online survey was disseminated via social media inviting Italian HCW, with questions exploring demographics, health status and work environment of respondents. A total of 527 were invited to take part in March 2020, of whom 74% (n = 388) responded to the survey. Of these, 235 (61%) were women. HCW were mostly physicians (74%), from high-prevalence regions (52%). 25% experienced typical symptoms during the last 14 days prior to survey completion, with only 45% of them being tested for COVID-19. Among the tested population, 18 (18%) resulted positive for COVID-19, with 33% being asymptomatic. Only 22% of HCW considered personal protective equipment adequate for quality and quantity. Females and respondents working in high-risk sectors were more likely to rate psychological support as useful (OR, 1.78 [CI 95% 1.14-2.78] P = 0.012, and 2.02 [1.12-3.65] P = 0.020, respectively) and workload as increased (mean increase, 0.38 [0.06-0.69] P = 0.018; and 0.54 [0.16-0.92] P = 0.005, respectively). The insights from this survey may help authorities in countries where COVID-19 epidemic has not yet broken out. Management strategies should be promptly undertaken in order to enhance safety and optimise resource allocation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Healthcare workers; Personal protective equipment; SARS-CoV-2; Survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Regional prevalence of COVID-19 cases per 105 people on survey closing date (April 4th 2020). Trentino-South Tyrol region includes both autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Subgroup comparisons in mean scores on a 10-point Likert scale rating (1 = extremely poor; 10 = excellent) of the local management of COVID-19 emergency. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001. HCW: healthcare workers; PPE: personal protective equipment; ICU: intensive care unit
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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