As Pandemic Persists, Health Care Heroes Begin To Crack Under The Strain

According to this article by WBUR News, there is extreme pandemic burnout among healthcare workers. The health care heroes of the current crisis are beginning to crack under the strain. Doctors, nurses, and other professionals are not only fighting an intractable virus day after day, they’re also coping with isolation, shifting official guidelines, and limited ways to recharge. A study shows emergency medicine physicians report a median 60% increase in emotional exhaustion and burnout over prepandemic levels.

These workers cited the unavailability of protective gear, inadequate testing, and the risk of spreading the virus by discharged patients as their primary concerns. Physicians noted their stress levels have decreased their affection with family members. There is also concern for health care providers of Latinx backgrounds, who are increasingly seeing their own communities experience more severe impacts of COVID-19 than others.