key: cord-0771399-22swinc6
authors: Cabrini, Luca; Grasselli, Giacomo; Cecconi, Maurizio
title: Yesterday heroes, today plague doctors: the dark side of celebration
date: 2020-07-01
journal: Intensive Care Med
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-020-06166-4
sha: 89c316ad07726f413adfa9168bae83efce22b815
doc_id: 771399
cord_uid: 22swinc6

nan

and have even suffered physical assault. In the Philippines, the President ordered the police protection for HCWs [4] .

The Coordinating Center of the "COVID-19 Lombardy ICU-Network", therefore, promoted an exploratory survey to assess the incidence of episodes of discrimination experienced by specialists and trainees in Anesthesiology and in Intensive Care Medicine. A survey comprised of 6 questions was distributed among the 72 ICUs of the Regional Network. We received 627 completed surveys; 18% of the responders were trainees. Overall, 159 HCWs (25%) reported at least 1 episode of discrimination involving themselves, their colleagues or family members. Among these, 11.3% reported more than 10 episodes of discrimination A description of the worst episode was allowed: 60 events were described. Most common were: ostracizing of HCWs or their family members by neighbors and friends; refusal to assist HCWs in their daily needs (e.g. shopping) and difficulty in recruitment of babysitters or caregivers. Notably, five cases of vandalism and physical assault were reported, that in two cases also required police intervention. Sadly, the "not in my backyard" principle seems to apply to HCWs, who are celebrated as long as they stay confined in hospitals, and this discrimination is also being extended to their families.

Healthcare systems administrators and policy-makers should employ every means to minimize the risk of infection among HCWs by providing adequate PPE and training. At the same time, informative campaigns should place the risk of contagion from HCWs in the right perspective. There is a good chance that as long as we are presented as heroes continuously facing death, we will suffer discrimination; such portrayal erroneously belabours the risk of being infected by HCWs, making it seem a very probable option. People must be confident that HCWs are taking every precaution to avoid infecting themselves and others, and that these precautions

Baseline Characteristics and Outcomes of 1591 Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 Admitted to ICUs of the Lombardy Region

Part of the cure or am I part of the disease? Keeping coronavirus out when a doctor comes home

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