The burden of COVID-19 infection on medical doctors in the first year of the pandemic in Ghana.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify and describe the burden of COVID-19 infection amongst doctors in Ghana.

DESIGN

A quantitative and qualitative analysis of cross-sectional data was performed.

SETTING

All 16 regions in Ghana.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were medical doctors diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2021.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Data sources were Ghana Medical Association and Ministry of Health records. Demographics and workplace data included age, gender, the rank of the doctor, and location and type of current facility. Characteristics of the COVID-19 infection included the likely source, clinical and recovery status, and place of management. Doctors reported their desire for a general checkup and psychological support and described the challenges encountered.

RESULTS

The prevalence of COVID-19 infection was 88.9 cases per 1000 doctor-population. Of 544 infected doctors, 59.2% were stable but symptomatic, and 1.7% were in critical condition, with a case fatality rate of 1.7%. Overall, 31.6% had recovered from their COVID-19 infection, and the majority (82.4%) were managed at home in self-isolation. Compared to medical officers, house officers (OR 1.36, p=0.03), senior house officers (OR 7.60, p<0.001), and consultants (OR 2.94, p=0.001) were more likely to have a COVID-19 infection. Desire for support was varied, with 13.0% desiring someone to check on them and 9.7% desiring psychological support. The majority (75.3%) reported facing a challenge, including difficulty obtaining needed vitamins and medications, and accessing daily necessities like groceries.

CONCLUSIONS

In Ghana, COVID-19 infections greatly burden medical doctors.

FUNDING

None declared.