The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, commonly presents as a severe acute respiratory disease referred to as coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The rapid spread of the disease created challenges for healthcare systems and forced healthcare workers to grapple with clinical and nonclinical stressors, including shortages of personal protective equipment, mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19, fear of bringing the virus home to family members, and the reality of losing colleagues to the disease. Evidence from previous outbreaks, along with early evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that these events have significant short- and long-term effects on the mental health of healthcare workers. All healthcare stakeholders should create short- and long-term plans to support the mental health of workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.