The battle against COVID-19 in Jordan: A cross-sectional study assessing the experience of Jordanians who have been infected with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Patients infected with coronavirus have new experiences and hence needs from the healthcare sector. Pharmacists can play vital roles in adopting innovative strategies to meet such needs. OBJECTIVES: To assess the experience of people who have been infected with coronavirus, and to assess the roles played by pharmacists to meet their new needs. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional online survey was developed based on previous literature, validated, and conducted in Jordan (3-13 May 2021). RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants (n=470) was 34.31 years (SD=11.75). About three-quarters were females. Out of the study participants, 24.0% reported to having been infected with the coronavirus previously, and 48.9% of them were infected after contacting an infected family member/friend. Only 36.0% ranked their commitment to the preventative measures as “very committed” before getting infected. The most reported symptom was fatigue (77.1%). The most used medicine/supplement was vitamin C (85.3%), followed by pain relievers (77.7%), and zinc tablets (75.3%). More than half of the participants (66.4%) documented that their anxiety and stress levels increased during their infection. More than half of the participants (53.7%) strongly agreed/agreed that pharmacists had an important and effective role during their infection. CONCLUSION: The experience of individuals who contracted the coronavirus indicated that few were very committed to preventative measures before getting infected. Fatigue was the main experienced symptom, while vitamin C was the supplement used the most. About half of the participants believed that pharmacists have an important role in managing their needs during their COVID-19 infection