Abstract
In response to COVID-19, hospitals in the United States put rigorous risk-reduction measures into place, including strict no-visitor policies. The resulting patient isolation has had negative effects on the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare providers and patients. We argue that COVID-19 risk assessments failed to consider the long-term effects of isolation on the health and wellbeing of patients and healthcare providers. These findings have implications for understanding the ongoing impact of COVID-19 care on healthcare providers, and for thinking about risk mitigation strategies for current and future healthcare provision and pandemic response preparation and planning. The isolation of COVID-19 took a toll on the mental health and wellbeing of both patients and healthcare providers. Restrictive visitor policies were especially harmful for healthcare providers and families. Policy makers – from the CDC to hospitals systems and administrators – must consider the harmful effects of isolation when assessing risk and considering risk reduction measures. A medical anthropologist and emergency medicine physician collaborate on research on the devastating long-term effects of isolation for healthcare providers and patients during COVID-19.
