It's as if we were the virus itself: feelings of health professionals in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: to reveal the feelings of primary care health professionals in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected their life in the community. Method: a qualitative, exploratory study, carried out with 28 health professionals from a health region in the State of Paraná, from March to April 2021. The interviews took place from the following triggering question: How did you feel being a professional of primary care during the pandemic and how has this affected your life in the community? All ethical and legal aspects provided for were respected. Results: Through the analysis of the content of the interviews, two categories emerged, namely: “The pandemic is real and has arrived in my city”, which represents the fear and apprehension of the changes experienced in the professional routine of primary health care, such as the suspension of home visits, the basis of much of the work; and “The marginalization of the health professional”, which illustrates how the fear of contamination generated the hostility of the category. Final considerations: the pandemic demanded abrupt changes, and the insecurity in assisting contaminated patients, either for fear of cross-transmission or for the risk of contaminating the family itself, lead to repercussions in the work process of these professionals, as well as in the physical and psyche of them. In addition, the responsibility of constant awareness and care contributed to these professionals being exposed to stress and emotional overload.