The lived experiences of frontline nurses and physicians infected by COVID-19 during their activities: a phenomenological study

In this study, we analysed the lived experiences of frontline nurses and physicians who were affected by COVID-19 through a phenomenological study, using a Cohen's phenomenological methodology. The participants were enrolled in the study in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) was a nurse or physician employed full time caring for COVID-19 patients before falling ill; (2) contracting SARS-CoV-2 during the period from February 2020 to May 2020; and (3) had recovered before enrolment in the study. Sixteen participants (60% nurses) with an average age of 45 years were included in this study. The following main themes were extrapolated from our data analysis: "fear of diagnosis", "loneliness (as isolation)", "touch of nurses" and "feeling guilty of abandonment". From our study several aspects emerge that highlight how strong the emotional impact of COVID was on nurses and physicians infected during their activities, such as, on the one hand, feelings of fear, loneliness, and, on the other hand, the impotence of not being able to help.