Understanding the Incidence of Covid-19 among the police force in Maharashtra through a mixed approach

Kokane, P. P.; Maurya, P.; T, M.

Abstract Background: The study tries to understand the incidence of COVID-19 among police officials along with the challenges they face and their preparedness during the pandemic response in Maharashtra. Method: The study analyzed the daily trends of confirmed, active, recovered, and deceased cases for Maharashtra and police professional. Ten telephonic in-depth interviews and a descriptive survey were conducted to obtain experiences of police regarding their combat against Covid-19. Results: PPR (0.01 to 1.12), CRR (0 to 39.22) and CFR (0 to 1.07) have consistently increased and CRR found lower among police than the general population. The qualitative data by analyzing several indicators suggests that there is a higher individual efficacy over collective efficacy among the police force. Further, the long-time fight against Covid-19 had drained police force mentally and physically and this put them in higher risk. Conclusion: Immediate priority interventions like provision of protective gears need to be provided by the government to control the risk of infection among police. Holistic support and recovery system from all stakeholders of society needed for the well-being of the police force so that they can soldier on to avert such a crisis in future. Keywords: COVID-19, Police force, Efficacy