Search

Background: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-COV-2. Elderly patients, those with comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease or cancer, are more likely to develop more severe forms of the disease. During COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients wanted to continue the oncological treatment, this being a priority for them. Material and method: We evaluated the medical records of all patients hospitalized in the Chronic Oncology-Palliative Care Department of the Chronic Diseases Hospital "St. Luke" Bucharest, during a period of 8 weeks of emergency (15.03-8.05, 2020). Between 25.04-8.05, the testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed, by RT-PCR method, of all the asymptomatic patients hospitalized in the department. Discussion: Delaying oncological treatments, as well as delaying palliative care for cancer patients, can have repercussions on disease progression, overall survival, and quality of life (treatment of symptoms with an increased frequency of cancer, such as pain syndrome, nausea and vomiting, cannot be delayed). However, delaying active cancer treatments cannot be recommended as an option to reduce the risk of pandemic infection. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 global pandemic, between 15.03 and 8.05, 2020, our department ensured the continuity of oncological treatments and palliative care for cancer patients. No patients admitted to our ward were positively diagnosed for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection until May 08, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The front-line medical staff is mainly at risk of becoming infected with the new coronavirus. Material and method: The psycho-emotional impact on the care team after the diagnosis with COVID-9 of the team members was evaluated by 2 questionnaires. Results: Over a period of 2 weeks 25% (9/36) team members were diagnosed with COVID 19. From the moment of testing until the moment of finding out the result, the staff presented feelings of fear and anxiety. During the illness and hospitalization the health-care staff experienced feelings as: disappointment, depression, frustration. Discussion: Screening testing for asymptomatic individuals associated with obligation and a long period of hospitalization causes significant psycho-emotional distress among health-care staff. Conclusions: The experience of SARS CoV 2 infection in a small palliative care team has demonstrated the need for protective measures, and courage and confidence are the balancing elements to face critical moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic was and still is a great challenge for the entire world population. People in the first line, among them doctors being a very important category, faced the risk of disease and, in some cases, even became infected. The emotional consequences of this risk are highlighted in this paperwork which tries to stress, with the help of applied questionnaires, the presence of psycho-emotional disorders among the medical staff of the Oncology Department of St. Luke's Hospital, Bucharest, during the pandemic. The medical staff had a low level of stress, adapting to the evolution of the pandemic "to some extent". The main fear was that of illness and the most common emotional states experienced by the subjects were: worry, nervousness and dissatisfaction. Most of the medical staff showed negative emotions, but there were also people who felt positive emotions of relaxation, calmness or joy. The most common ways of managing the stress caused by the pandemic were: communicating with colleagues, family and friends, watching movies and enjoying various activities with the family at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]