Subjective assessment of occupational risk factors for health and psychoemotional state of health care workers under changed working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic

We accomplished a cross-sectional study using a specifically designed questionnaire. The aim of our study was to examine subjective assessment of influence exerted on healthcare workers’ health and psychoemotional state by changed working conditions and use of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The examined healthcare workers were employed at a multi-field re-profiled in-patient hospital. We established a considerable change in the workplace setting of healthcare workers in an unfavorable epidemic situation. It involved longer contacts with hazardous biological and chemical factors, elevated work hardness and intensity as well as the necessity to use personal protective equipment for a long time. Longer use of personal protective equipment when tending COVID-19 patients was associated with higher frequency of several variable complaints made by the questioned healthcare workers. Respondents were more likely to report difficulty in breathing (p