Physical, chemical and psychological effect of COVID-19 pandemic upon health care providers

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound physical, chemical, and psychological impacts on medical staff worldwide. The study aimed to assess the physical, chemical and psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic and its predicted factors among health care providers. A cross-sectional study design consist of 105 participants was carried out from 1st May to 30th July, 2023 at Al-Hussein teaching hospital at Al- Nasiriya city, southern Iraq. A Constructed questionnaire consisting of three parts was utilized in this study. The first includes demographic information while Second, concerns with work related variables and third Parts cover the assessment of physical, chemical and psychological Impact. The study results indicate that more than half of participants were young adults aged 20 to 29, and predominantly male (58.1%), with 97.1% holding bachelor’s degrees and Medical Assistants make up 23.8% of job titles. The findings reveal that 61.0%,of respondents have a moderate effect from the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to physical well-being, with an average score of 19.68 ± 4.39, and55.2% of healthcare providers expressed chemical effect resulting in an average score of 24.65 ± 4.98., Additionally, in terms of psychological effect, 53.3% of respondents indicated experiencing moderate effects, with an average score of 21.22 ± 4.55. Regression analyses found that years of experience predict physical well-being impact (p < 0.0001), while education level and years of experience predict chemical hazard impact (p < 0.0001), and age, gender, and years of experience predict psychological impact (p < 0.0001). The study highlights the difficulties faced by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including physical, chemical, and psychological impacts.To tackle these challenges, personalized strategies that take into account factors like experience, education, age, and gender should be adopted by healthcare Institutions and policymakers.