Healthcare providers have a very stressful job to begin with, but the stress is greater when there is an epidemic outbreak within the community. This can increase marital stress, social isolation, and lack of support from family and friends. Just because they work in a hospital, that is supposed to be a sterile environment, it can become a greater risk to their own health. When an epidemic outbreak occurs, healthcare professionals need to protect themselves from getting the contagious virus. Their duties go beyond their expectations when they have to wear overprotective gear such as masks, gowns, and protective gloves. Their workplace now becomes an isolated atmosphere surrounded with a deadly contagious virus. Working longer hours impacts their sleeping habits, eating habits, and their own immune system due to the increase of added precaution in the infected surroundings. It also creates limitations in their social and family life, by not being able to spend time with family and friends. It increases a persons stress and anxiety which can ripple into their own health concerns, such as fatigue, headaches and concerns of catching the contagious outbreak.
When an epidemic outbreak occurs, many healthcare professionals are under pressure since they are the experts in the health field and should know what to do. Because they have to let the public know what is going on, the community puts demands on doctors and hospital staff to find out how a disease or virus, whether it is contagious or not, could get out of hand and impact the whole community. By taking preventative measures, such as disinfecting, quarantining, and advising no visitation in hospitals, health officials can concentrate on those patients who are infected without spreading the disease even more. But the public can take two sides. One is a sense of respect and sympathy for those who have to come in contact with patients who are infected. They are exposing their own lives and unselfishly trying to heal others. Others feel sorry for health care providers as they work long extra hours, and being confined to such harsh conditions. The other is a sense of outrage and unfairness. How could it spread so quickly? How could it have prevented? What could be done to lesson the situation? The public wants answers, but unfortunately it takes time. For some, time is against them. Painful emotional experiences are inevitable for everyone who is part of the epidemic.
While there are many disadvantages to an epidemic, such as tourism loss, lives lost due to death, long lasting health issues, and economic losses, there are many advantages to focus on. Improvement to the public health system and provide health care to the whole nation can keep an epidemic to minimum (DaSilva & Garanganga, 2004,). The public must be alerted about a virus that has spread though out the community. People should not be rejected due to their socioeconomic status or race. Another is to have better communications to improve the probabilities and uncertainties associated with epidemic concerns (Aikimbayev, 2003). For example, the outbreak of SARS started in china. Had there have been earlier awareness, those people affected should not have been able to come to Canada. This could have limited the virus. Improving vaccine selection can also be an advantage due to earlier epidemics (Osterhaus, 2002). From past occurrences, epidemics such as; the measles, malaria, and chicken pox, vaccinations have been developed to tame the virus. Though some people still refuse the vaccinations, it has been proven to limit the virus (Osterhaus, 2002).
In conclusion, health care workers who work during an epidemic put their lives in danger. The providers go beyond their duties to keep the epidemic to a minimal. Yet, the public gives mixed responses by either supporting the workers or giving them no respect. While it’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of an epidemic, there are many advantages. Due to the many outbreaks that we have had in the past, healthcare workers gain more experience minimizing the amount of victims that are affected in society.
References
Aikimbayev, A. (2003, September 13). Improving public health preparedness for and
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http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/Tularaemia_MeetingReport_GenDistribution_Final1.pdf
DaSilva, J. & Garanganga, B. (2004, October 22). Improving epidemic malaria planning,
preparedness,and response in Southern Africa. Retrieved November 7, 2008,
http.//www.malariajournal.com/content 3/1/37
Krowe, K. (2003, November 19, 2003). Behind the Mask. Retrieved November 8, 2008,
Osterhaus, A. (2002, October 1). Novel Vaccination Strategies and Vaccine Formulations for
Epidemic and Pandemic Influenza Control. Retrieved November 8, 2008,
epidemics/projects/130_en.html
Wikipedia (2008, November 5). Avian Influenza. Retrieved November 8, 2003,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_influenza
