Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36969720›Full record

ArticleWellcome open research2022

"An increase in COVID-19 patients would be overwhelming": A qualitative description of healthcare workers' experiences during the first wave of COVID-19 (March 2020 to October 2020) at Malawi's largest referral hospital.

Felix Limbani, Blessings M Kapumba, Henry Mzinganjira, Tamara Phiri, Henry C Mwandumba, Jamie Rylance, Ben Morton, Nicola Desmond

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Article in Wellcome open research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Felix LimbaniMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0176-7011
Blessings M KapumbaMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8210-3454
Henry MzinganjiraQueen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.
Tamara PhiriQueen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.
Henry C MwandumbaMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.
Jamie RylanceMalawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2323-3611
Ben Morton *Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, PO Box 30096, Chichiri, Blantyre, BT3, Malawi.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6164-2854
Nicola Desmond *Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2874-8569

Funding

Wellcome Trust 211433/Z/18/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background  COVID-19 is currently a global health threat. Healthcare workers are on the front-line of the COVID-19 outbreak response and therefore at heightened risk of infection. There is a dearth of evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa about healthcare worker experiences in managing COVID-19.  We have reported on healthcare worker responses, experiences, and perspectives on epidemic response strategies at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi's largest referral hospital.   Methods  We conducted 39 face-to-face in-depth interviews with a purposively selected sample of healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 in Malawi (March 2020 to October 2020). The study included healthcare workers who provided direct and indirect patient care.   Results  During the early phase of the first wave (March to May 2020), healthcare workers expressed concerns with inadequate working space, unconducive infrastructure, delayed and rushed training on the management of COVID-19, and lack of incentives. Additionally, the hospital had staff shortages and limited essential resources such as piped oxygen and personal protective equipment. This increased healthcare worker fears of contracting COVID-19 and they were less willing to volunteer at COVID-19 isolation units. Resource constraints and limited preparedness compromised the care pathway particularly with increased numbers of COVID-19 patients. By the peak of the first wave (June to August 2020) many of these issues had been resolved. The hospital provided refresher training courses, personal protective equipment became available, incentives were offered to healthcare workers working in COVID-19 units and piped oxygen was installed. Staff morale was boosted, and more staff were willing to work at the COVID-19 isolation centres.   Conclusion  Experiences of healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 are critical for improving care in future COVID-19 waves. Response strategies in resource-constrained areas should prioritise timely training of staff, creation of adequate isolation areas, provision of adequate medical supplies and strengthening leadership.

Indexed as

COVID-19Health care workersLow-income countryperspectivesQueen Elizabeth Central Hospital

Identifiers

PMID36969720
PMCPMC10036953

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.