Experiences of the Health Personnel Confronting COVID-19 in the Red Zones of Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: In Cuba, the fight against COVID-19 has been a task for everyone related to healthcare, with their continuous consecration, showing their professional capacities and skills in the specialized treatment of and care for hospitalized patients.

Objective: To assess the main experiences of the health personnel who worked in red zones, in isolation centers, with suspected or positive cases of COVID-19.

Methods: A descriptive study was carried out. The interview and observation techniques were used to analyze the experiences. The sample consisted of 43 subjects, of whom 17 physicians, 10 nurses, 7 technicians and 9 service employees who participated in isolation centers were selected.

Results: The experiences of the health personnel who worked in the red zones were based on the expression of feelings, emotions, interpersonal relationships, perception of risk, and unique experiences during the work performed. The main feelings and emotions were joy, cooperation, altruism, support, gratitude, admiration, commitment; while the negative ones were fear, anxiety, stress, depression, rejection, and hopelessness to a lesser extent. Interpersonal relationships were developed in collaboration and group learning, while the perception of risk was high due to the viral load of the disease.

Conclusions: The experiences of the studied subjects were expressed through negative events at the beginning of involvement with patients, and evolved until conversion to positive states that allowed raising the quality of the work performed.