Healthcare workers are on the front lines of the pandemic and are disproportionately affected by the crisis, according to a Sept. 14 report released by the International Council of Nurses.
Since March 2020, ICN has collected COVID-19 data from National Nursing Associations across the globe. ICN also conducted online surveys in 50 countries with high numbers of COVID-19 caseloads from July 30 to Aug. 14 and received complete responses from 32 countries.
Four report findings:
1. An average 10 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases are among healthcare workers, ranging from 1 percent to 32 percent. As of Aug. 14, 572,478 healthcare workers in 32 countries reported COVID-19 infections to ICN.
2. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in nurses from 44 countries was 1,097 as of Aug. 14. The number is thought to be a significant underestimate.
3. More than 70 percent (24 out of 33) of the nurse associations had received reports of violence or discrimination against front-line health workers due to COVID-19.
4. Only 56 percent (18 out of 32) of the associations said infection prevention and control training or personal protective equipment use refresher courses for airborne transmitted infections were provided to nurses in the last six months.