COVID-19 epidemic: Hospital-level response

Abstract

COVID-19 is a serious threat to public health, worldwide. This new viral disease is the third coronavirus epidemic in the 21st century, following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The major transmission method is through respiration; however, it is unclear why the virus is so easily transmitted among individuals. Symptoms of this virus include fever, coughs and respiratory distress. In this letter, we describe the actions taken by the nursing system of the hospitals in the cities in Iran in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Human resources management, Personnel training and Facilities, and resources management was the main category implementation at the hospital-level for confronting COVID-19. In epidemics, health personnel, especially nurses, are at the forefront of the fight against the disease. Nurses should take care of people who are experiencing severe forms of the disease and should do so for long hours using protective equipment. Therefore, in addition to providing adequate protective equipment, they may need implementation of public health measures in a way to help reduce the number of new infected cases and reduce the burden placed on the health care team. Hence, public education and compliance with health guidelines by the people should be highlighted so that nurses can provide better care to those in need.