Anxiety in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective. At the time of a pandemic, anxiety is a common occurrence in those persons who are exposed to direct contact with the patients or the possibility of the same. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of anxiety among medical workers employed in the city of Loznica and suburban municipalities, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. Anxiety in 120 adult health workers (36 males, 84 females, 25-65 years old) at the time of the pandemic was assessed based on the value of Beck Anxiety Inventory for determining the degree of anxiety, which was sent electronically to all respondents in the days of the epidemic increase and peak in the number of patients infected with COVID-19 virus. The results. The analysis of the results yielded a mean value of the Beck Anxiety Inventory for the assessment of fear and anxiety of 6.82 (standard deviation, 7.49, range 0-39), which is a state of anxiety without clinical significance. There were no statistically significant differences of the mean Beck Anxiety Inventory values between study subgroups based on subjects' gender (p=0.32), age (p=0.96) and education (p=0.06) categories. Conclusion. The paper presents the emotional reaction of health workers in the city of Loznica and suburban municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was determined that the anxiety reaction is not present in a significant form, and the most common psychosomatic reactions that occur at the peak of a pandemic are presented.