Pandemic experiences of family physicians infected with the COVID-19: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: Family physicians are usually patients’ first point of contact with primary healthcare. This study aims to understand the experiences of family physicians who were infected with the COVID-19 and started working again. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This qualitative study was conducted on 18 different family health centres in Adana. Data collection was performed through 18 interviews, each lasting an average of 46.6 min. The data were analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 18 family physicians (9 women and 9 men), and there were no significant differences between them by gender or seniority. RESULTS: The results of the study have shown that family physicians who were infected with the COVID-19 and started working again have experienced high levels of anxiety at work. In addition, due to the fear of being reinfected, family physicians’ social relations with their colleagues have decreased. The results are discussed under two themes: anxieties and social relationships. CONCLUSION: In primary healthcare services, family physicians play a vital role during the pandemic. Many family physicians either lost their lives or got infected with the virus, recovered and worked in difficult conditions for a long time. Understanding the experiences of family physicians during the pandemic when they underwent COVID-19 and after they recovered could help to protect their psychological health and improve their work conditions.