Perceptions of postoutbreak management by management and healthcare workers of a Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in a tertiary care hospital: a qualitative study

Al Knawy, Bandar Abdulmohsen; Al-Kadri, Hanan M F; Elbarbary, Mahmoud; Arabi, Yaseen; Balkhy, Hanan H; Clark, Alex

Mental health support to frontline HCWs was a major missing element in managing the MERS-CoV outbreak. Indeed, psychological and personal support and counseling for staff during emergency situations is recommended. [28] [29] [30] In Singapore for example, the Ministry of Health funds a "comprehensive crisis response management system" for health professionals. 28 Such initiatives may be more effective in supporting staff than support from other health professionals 29 and can be targeted to those in most need via screening. 29, 30 While the themes presented are not uncommon in organization studies of infection outbreaks, 31,32 these reflected our data and, as studies and systematic reviews indicate, concur with other accounts of major outbreaks such as ebola. [31] [32] [33] As such, our findings reiterate the imperative of addressing these transcending aspects across different types of infection outbreaks.