Healthcare Workers
Healthcare Workers
Healthcare Workers in the Face of COVID-19
A healthcare professional
provides health care treatment and services based on formal training and experience. The field includes many professions such as physician, surgeon, physician assistants, nurse, physiotherapist, dentist, midwife, psychologist, psychiatrist, pharmacist, and many others. A healthcare professional may also be a public health or community health practitioner.
Healthcare professionals play a critical role in improving access and quality health care for the population. They provide essential services that promote health, prevent diseases, and deliver health care services to individuals, families and communities.
The following is the list of health professionals, as defined by the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) (ILO 2008; WHO 2010):
o Medical Doctors – both Generalist and Specialist Practitioners, including Public Health Doctors (ISCO-08 minor group 221).
o Nursing Professionals, including Public Health Nurses (ISCO-08 minor group 222, unit 2221).
o Midwifery Professionals, including Public Health Midwives (ISCO-08 minor group 222, unit 2222).
o Dentists (ISCO-08 minor group 226, unit 2261).
o Pharmacists (ISCO-08 minor group 226, unit 2262).
o This list excludes several groups under the ISCO-08 definition of health professionals, such as traditional and complementary medicine professionals, paramedical practitioners, dieticians and nutritionists, physiotherapists, and several other therapy-related occupations.
Two studies published JAMA Network Open showed a 1% COVID-19 infection rate in healthcare workers
in hospitals in the Netherlands and Wuhan, China, but with higher rates in HCWs who reported no exposure to COVID-19 patients. Data has been conflicting on rates of COVID-19 infection and certainly our healthcare workers have faced the highest percentage of impact along with the elderly (>70 years old).
Sources:
Wikipedia, Health Professional, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_professional#:~:text=The%20field%20includes%20those%20who,health%20or%20community%20health%20practitioner, June 13, 2020.
Health Professions Network, WHO, https://www.who.int/hrh/professionals/en/, June 13, 2020.
Definition and List of Health Care Professionals, NIH, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK298950/, June 13, 2020.
Studies: 1% of healthcare workers had COVID-19, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/05/studies-1-healthcare-workers-had-covid-19, June 13, 2020.
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