Post pandemic Impacts of COVID-19 Responses among Healthcare Providers: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background: Healthcare providers (HCPs) are disproportionately exposed to higher risks during epidemics such as COVID-19, which can have an increased potential to adversely impact their psychological, social, and economic well-being. Objective: This study assessed the post-pandemic impacts of COVID-19 responses on healthcare professionals in Nigeria. Method: 317 Healthcare providers (HCP) who were involved in treating COVID-19 patients in a Nigerian tertiary hospital were recruited into this study. Information on the pandemic's impacts was collected using the COVID-19 Responses Impact Questionnaire (COVRiQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25.0). Results: The overall COVRiQ score was 16.0, suggesting moderate impacts of COVID-19 responses on HCPs. In addition, the COVRiQ scores were 18(90%), 16(80%) and 15(62.5%) for behavioural, social and economic impacts respectively. Across all domains, impacts were higher among females (p˂0.001), nurses (p=0.00), and HCPs aged 34 years and above (p˂0.012). Conclusion: COVID-19 responses affected various facets of the lives of HCPs, including behaviour and social and economic lifestyles. Appropriate post-pandemic support may be helpful in mitigating the post-traumatic experiences of frontline HCPs who were directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. This further suggests the need for more comprehensive preparedness planning against similar future epidemics. Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, healthcare professionals, outbreak response