Impact of anxiety and fear for COVID-19 toward infection control practices among Thai healthcare workers

• Published in: Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology Vol. 41; no. 9; pp. 1093 - 1094
• Main Authors: Apisarnthanarak, Anucha, Apisarnthanarak, Piyaporn, Siripraparat, Chanida, Saengaram, Pavarat, Leeprechanon, Narakorn, Weber, David J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cambridge University Press 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Attitude of Health Personnel; Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - psychology; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Fear; Female; Health care; Health Care Surveys; Health Personnel - psychology; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Infection Control - standards; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional - prevention & control; Logistic Models; Male; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Nursing; Pandemics - prevention & control; Patient Safety; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - psychology; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Practice Patterns, Nurses; Practice Patterns, Physicians; Prevention; Protective equipment; Public health; Research Brief; SARS-CoV-2; Social networks; Thailand; Thailand; Bangkok Thailand
• ISSN: 0899-823X; 1559-6834
• DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.280

Data collected included HCP demographics, perception of risks to contract COVID-19, confidence in policies and hospital preparedness plans for COVID-19 (eg, policy or adequacy of personal protective equipment [PPE]), confidence in knowledge of disease transmission and infection prevention practices, sources for COVID-19 news, HCP emotions (eg, anxiety and fear), their infection prevention practices including hand hygiene, wearing a mask and PPE, physical distancing, willingness to see admitted patients and willingness to accept new patients, as well as suggestions on how to deal with emotions. Healthcare Personnel Characteristics, Emotions, and Infection Prevention Practices Variable No. (%) (N = 160) Age, median y (range) 32 (23–62) Sex, female 95 (59) Occupation Physicians 52 (32) Nurse 45 (28) Nurse assistant 16 (1) Othersa 47 (29) Direct contact with COVID-19 patients 82 (51.6) Perceived high risk of contracting COVID-19 patients 144 (90) Perceived high risk of being quarantine 136 (85.5) Confidence in hospital preparedness policy for COVID-19 125 (78) Confidence in hospital stockpile policy for PPE 119 (74.4) Confidence in knowledge of COVID-19 diseases transmission 118 (73.8) Confidence in knowledge of COVID-19 infection preventions 121 (75.6) Sources of COVID-19 news Social media 144 (90) Line application 135 (84.3) Facebook 116 (72.1) Instragram 115 (71.8) Hospital news 105 (90) Television news 144 (90) Fearful for COVID-19 GAD-7 Score Minimal anxiety 51 (31.8) Mild anxiety 37 (23.1) Moderate anxiety 23 (14.4) Severe anxiety 8 (5) Infection prevention practices Hand washing 152 (95.6) Wearing mask and PPE 148 (93.1) Willing to see admitted patients during epidemics 78 (48.7) Willing to accept new patients during epidemics 73 (45.1) Social distancing in hospital 128 (82) Social distancing in community 125 (78) Suggestions to improve HCP emotions Hospital policy on adequate PPE stockpile 114 (71) Ongoing education on diseases transmission and preventions 125 (77) Mindfulness practices 89 (55) Workshop to share knowledge and experience 75 (28) Increase incentive for being at risk 35 (21.8) Note. PPE, personal protective equipment; HCP, healthcare personnel; GAD-7, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. a Technician, nursing aids, pharmacist, clinical pharmacist, physical therapists.