Healthcare workers and COVID-19 pandemic: A fight amidst fear of burnout

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to cause a huge impact on  the wellbeing of the global population. The first case of  COVID-19 in the world was reported in Wuhan, China in  December 2019, and since then, it has spread worldwide. As the  cases kept on increasing exponentially, the WHO declared  COVID-19 as global pandemic on 11 March 2020. Fight  against such health crisis required an exceptional response from  the healthcare system and administrators. In India, it was  always anticipated to be a daunting task to control the spread of  infection due to a large and dense population and overburdened  healthcare system. Healthcare workers, police personnel, defence personnel, sanitation workers, local administrators, etc.,  have been the frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19  pandemic. Healthcare workers have been playing a pivotal role  in the hospitals as well as community settings in management  of the disease outbreak. In hospital set up, planning, preparedness and the optimal management of resources and  manpower have been emphasized. The fight against COVID-19  pandemic has been long and continuing. In this long fight,  physical and mental exhaustion leading to burnout among  healthcare workers can be a major concern. Burnout can result  from long term involvement in the work which is demanding  and can lead to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a  reduced sense of personal accomplishment. Multiple factors  like fear of acquiring infection, lack of social support,  discrimination and distancing behaviour from society, long  working hours, inadequate work condition, inadequate 1 ,2 protective measures have been identified.