Unibersidad de Manila

One Mehan Gardens, Manila

SENIOR HIGH DEPARTMENT
General Academics Strand
(S.Y. 2020-2021)

This Research Paper is a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Qualitative Research in Daily Life 11

Emotional Impacts of Covid-19 to Medical

Practitioners

Research Presented to
Mrs. Myrna Bautista

Submitted by:
Chiong Maya, Hendrian Bernier R.
Mabini, John Michael M.
Guemo, Jorie Mae
Jalagat, Joriza Mae
Peralta, Pia Justine
Rigor, Melody N.
 CHAPTER I
1.1. PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUD

The Novel Corona Virus Disease (NCOV-19) started to spread on 2019 which was
first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province,
China. It was actually reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 10, 2019
therefore they call it Covid-19. On January 30, 2020 the WHO declared that Covid-19 outbreak a
global health emergency. As well on March 11,2020, the WHO declared Covid-19 as a global
pandemic. The Philippine government comply a lot pf protocol and new act to avoid of spreading
this virus such as travel ban, and also lockdowns to all cities that are high risk on getting the
infection. They also built quarantine facilities for those covid-19 patients that have mild
symptoms and asymptomatic that are headed by our medical front liners. Asymptomatic infected
patients may also become the source of infection mainly via aerosols from the respiratory and
also direct contact. Elderly people with underlying diseases are more likely to be infected with
the virus and develops severe diseases and children and infants are also high risk because the
WHO declared the possibility of airborne transmission of covid-19 virus. In the statement made
by Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO, We have been
talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the
modes of transmission of COVID-19”.
Infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, as well as other public events, can
cause emotional distress and anxiety. Especially our medical front liners, experiencing
exhaustion due to heavy workloads and protective gear, fear of becoming infected, as well as
infecting others, feeling powerless to handle patients’ condition whether severe or mild
condition. Social support was a big impact on managing their emotions. In a study conducted by
the Assiut University Hospitals, too much exposure to stressful working environments result in a
state of physical and emotional depletion and burn out. At this time as medical front liners facing
covid-19, they are assisting and doing treatment covid-19 patients, therefore, keeping them with
contact to patients with covid-19 leads them at higher risk of developing psychological distress
and other mental health symptoms such as high levels of stress resulted in post-traumatic stress
disorder (PSTD) due to no firm estimate of how long pandemic will last and how long our lives
will be disrupted, or whether or not we or our loved ones will be infected. In addition to that,
some slight form of racism is demonstrated against health care professionals who have higher
risk of being infected than those who are non-frontline medical staff. Many of our doctors and
other medical front liners were infected and some of them died due to COVID-19 infection.
At present, most of the powerful countries are inventing vaccines that can cure
COVID-19 infection. According to MSFACCESS.org, ”The six candidates and the amount that
each has received in public funding so far are vaccines being developed by AstreZeneca/Oxford
University(over $1.7billion), Johson & Johnson / BiologicalE ($1.5billion),
Pfizer/BioNTech($2.5billion), GlaxoSmithKline/Sanofi Pasteur ($2.1billion), and
Moderna/Lonza ($2.48billion).” With the help of those vaccines, maybe after some months or
years, covid-19 will be totally cured all over the world.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research aims to know the situation of our medical front liners and their way to conquer
their state of the emotional equilibrium in the midst of the pandemic.
What are the emotional impacts of COVID-19 to medical practitioners?
How do they cope up to balance their emotional status?

What are the benefits if medical front liners undergo through psychiatric evaluation to sustain
their emotional equilibrium?

1.3 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study dealt mainly with the emotional impacts of COVID-19 to medical front liners in
Sampaloc City, Manila. It seeks to know their experiences, physical and emotional effects, and
how did they cope with these effects in the midst of the pandemic and while taking care of
COVID-19 patients.
The researchers conducted a survey using google forms as our medium and we’ve managed to
interview 6 respondents in our set of questionnaires

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study may provide deeper insights on how COVID-19 really affects the
mental health of our medical front liners. The study determined the significance of caring for our
emotional health. Vital results of this study could be highly significant and beneficial specifically
to the following:
Youth- This study will serve as an inspiration and motivation for the youth. This will serve as an
eye-opener for them to realize how the medical front liners work hard and sacrifices themselves
to protect and care for us.
Patients- This probe will grant realizations for all the patients in the midst of pandemic. Knowing
the difficult background situation of our front liner will turn them that they must always keep on
their mind about their health. Therefore, it will note them to preserve their health habitually.
Front liners-It is important that we conduct this study with Front liners because, we will pay
more attention to how they feel in the middle of the pandemic, we know that it is difficult for
everyone but do not forget those who care because the virus is not impossible to infect them as
well. and they also have their own family home which may also be affected by the pandemic.
Government- Pandemic shows us what government is for, and it's important that we conduct this
study with our government because, we will have more information about what to do to prevent
the spread of Covid-19 and they can give medicine and medical supplies to our front liners.

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION FOR LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides related literature and studies among foreign and local issues on emotional
impacts of COVID-19 to medical practitioners. It will present the relevance of the study and will
establish the research gap that the study about the emotional impacts intends to fill in. This
chapter includes the ideas, finished thesis, conclusions, methodologies and others.
FOREIGN LITERATURE
The coronavirus disease 2019 is spreading rapidly, and is still bringing pressure and challenges
to nursing staffs and also medical front liners. A qualitative study on the psychological
experience of care givers of COVID-119 patients was conducted at Hospital of Henan University
of Science and Technology from January 20, to February 10,2020. Using a phenomenological
method, they enrolled 20 nurses who care for COVID-19 patients. The interviews were
conducted face-to-face or by telephone and were analyzed by Colaizzi’s 7-step method. In this
study, the researchers conducted one-to-one interview to some nurses in the hospital, they did a
face to face and telephone interviews to ensure data collection at multiple time points.
According to Shuhua Liu and co., all nurses in their study expressed concern about the impact of
the epidemic on the health of their love ones. They also said that their families were also worried
about their health. Some of the nurses that did not live with their parents chose to hide the fact
that they work in isolation ward from their parents. Because of that separation, they felt helpless
and guilty. “at the same time, nurses would be in a state of physical and mental stress and feel
isolated and helpless in the face of health threats and pressure from the high intensity work
caused by such public health emergencies” C O’Boyle, C Robertson, M Secor-Turner(2006).
According to Tp Su, TC Lien, CY Yang, et al(2007),”they will suffer from loneliness, anxiety,
fear, fatigue, sleep disorders, and other physical and mental health problems” With these effects,
all nurses have experiencing psychological defense mechanisms, such as speculation, depression,
self-consciousness, isolation, discrimination, etc. According to Shuhua Liu and co. “Nurses used
existing knowledge and new knowledge of psychological decompression communicated by
colleagues or the internet to adjust themselves and actively or passively used psychological
techniques, such as writing a diary and letters, breathing relaxation, mindfulness, music
meditation, and emotional expression and venting.” In this case, even though the nurses were
experiencing different mental health problems, they are coping it and doing self-care styles so
they can’t affect others. They added that most nurses adjust their sleep when stressed by work.
They even increase their food intake at the same time some will regularly exercise and maintain
physical strength so they can normally work.
According to Felipe Ornell in their study “The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the
mental health of healthcare professionals”, stated “Amongst these are the healthcare workers
assisting patients with known or suspected COVID-19. Primary care workers, such as nurses,
nursing technicians and medical doctors who are in direct contact with patients and their body
fluids are those most vulnerable to infection.” due to COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in
demand were faced to health workers, they face long work shifts, often with few resources and
precarious infrastructure. In addition to that, they are required to wear personal protective
equipment (PPE) which may cause physical discomfort and difficulty of breathing to them.
According to Brain Behav Immun.(2020) in the study “ Traumatization in medical staff helping
with COVID-19 control” have reported how much people and medical staff were suffering from
vicarious traumatization and how this vicarious traumatization of non-front-line medical staff is
more serious than that of front-line medical staff. “As in South and Southeast Asia countries,
also in Italy, there are similar problems in medical staff due to high workload and intermittent
lack of protective devices. In addition, some slight of racism is demonstrated against health care
professionals who potentially have a higher risk of being infected and between non front-line
medical staff towards front-line medical staff”.
According to Rakesh Singh and Madhusudan Subedi, in their study “ COVID-19 and stigma:
Society discrimination towards frontline healthcare providers and COVID-19 recovered patients
in Nepal” stated “Considering the key players for fighting the crisis, the frontline health care
providers are facing challenges including stigma and discrimination at workplace and
surroundings. Increasing cases and mortality during the outbreaks pushes frontline healthcare
providers towards extreme pressure due to multiple factor including social isolation, stigma, and
discrimination; and put them at higher risk of psychological problems.” These effects need to be
root out from the society. However, in the current situation, instead of pleading and giving them
appreciation, healthcare providers have been victims of the societal disapproval. In addition to
that, there have been similar incidences with the reports from news headlining attacks to
healthcare providers on other countries as well as including India, the USA, Australia; where
they are even being beaten, threatened and evicted from their homes. (Withnall A. The
independent;2020). Moreover, anyone who is involved in providing healthcare facility and even
their family in a place with a large number of COVID-19 cases is treated as an untouchable.
In conclusion, society must provide comprehensive support to frontline healthcare in their duty
instead of discriminating and threatening them. It is to improve their mental health despite of the
pandemic.

LOCAL LITERATURE
 In Conformity with Dr. Anselmo Tronco the Chairman of The University of the Philippines
(UP) Philippine General Hospital's Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. They
Tackled about the Impacts of Covid-19 not just in People's Physical Health but also in Mental
and Emotional Health For Mankind Last year. Thus, Covid-19 Provide Repulsive factor to
everyone even though the person is facing covid or just quarantined at home, It's still provide
same Repulsive factor. they coping the covid but not the depression, anxiety, frustration, and
loneliness that was always bothering on them.
For those who are Practitioner at our country, it is not common to experience stress, restless,
sadness, anger and desperation to make their patient recuperate. They always felt pressure in any
angle of their workplace. They limited having interaction with their family and loved ones at a
time when they miss it, Therefore, they also trying to coping the bereavement for their family
and loved ones. No ones comforting them when needed except from their fellows practitioner.
On the other hand, patients who are hospitalized due to Covid-19 will be able felt and face
much loneliness, bereavement and loss of hope. they can't be able to sight their loved ones until
they will recover their self on Covid, it is because the Practitioners was avoiding the chance of
spreading the virus to their family and loved ones if they allow them to contacted with them.
Hence, It turns them out to think that they'll not attain chances to recover from covid-19.
Since they prove the mental, emotional, and psychological cause of covid-19 to mankind.
The University of the Philippines provide Webinar Series "STOP COVID DEATHS: Clinical
Management Updates", it will delve the issues. Titled " COVID-19, Mental health and
Mindfulness". This Webinar organized by UP in partnership with Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation (PHILHEALTH) and the UP Manila NIH National Telehealth Center. It will speech
by the Chairman of The University of the Philippines, Dr. Anselmo Tronco. The Webinar series
was focuses on coping and resilience, particularly the use of good or better mindfulness exercises
that can be used by patients especially to our front liners and other person interconnected on the
impact of covid-19 on mental and emotional health.
Consequently, many people can't be able and afford to attend the Webinar series. However,
We can watch and read it on the page posted in UP Media and Public Relations Office. It will
surely widened your mind and thoughts and teach how will you make your mental and emotional
health healthy. it gives a lot of existence for patients, health workers and more.
Dr. Anselmo Tronco comply some advice, that has a possible chance of coping this negative
cause of pandemic on our mental and emotional health. He state that we must need to take faith
and gain strong ability to cope up the overwhelmed circumstances caused by the COVID-19
pandemic. We can comply or use the previous experience, memories and skills for survival. The
same goes for the families and loved ones of Covid-19 patients also the families and loved ones
of the practitioners, whose worry, fear and sense of loss.
As the result, it will surely help the patients, front liners and health care workers on how
they preserve their mental and emotional health at the midst of pandemic. Perhaps by listening
on Webinar series it can less the frustration, depression, overthinking and more repulsive factor
cause of the pandemic.
 In other side, Many of our practitioners was just distracting their self in a lot of things, to
avoid the bad impact of Covid-19 on their Mental, Psychological and Emotional Health. They
make their selves much busy, and avoid on thinking on bad things on their surrounding, they
think that it will help them.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY