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 <front>
  <journal-meta>
   <journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Ulutas Med J</journal-id>
   <journal-title-group>
    <journal-title>The Ulutas Medical Journal</journal-title>
    <abbrev-journal-title>Ulutas Med J</abbrev-journal-title>
   </journal-title-group>
   <issn pub-type="ppub">2149-0430</issn>
   <issn pub-type="epub">2149-388X</issn>
   <publisher>
    <publisher-name>Hayriye Zehra Ulutaş</publisher-name>
   </publisher>
  </journal-meta>
  <article-meta>
   <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.5455/umj.20200908022555</article-id>
   <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">131218</article-id>
   <article-categories>
    <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
     <subject>Letter to the Editor</subject>
    </subj-group>
    <subj-group subj-group-type="subject">
     <subject>Infectious diseases/communicable diseases</subject>
    </subj-group>
   </article-categories>
   <title-group>
    <article-title>Strengthening Healthcare Workers and Professionals amid COVID-19 Pandemic</article-title>
   </title-group>
   <contrib-group>
    <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes">
     <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid" authenticated="false">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6720-8453</contrib-id>
     <name name-style="western">
      <surname>Oyeniran</surname>
      <given-names>Oluwatosin Imoleayo</given-names>
     </name>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Conceptualization" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/conceptualization/">Conceptualization</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Data curation" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/data-curation/">Data curation</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Formal analysis" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/formal-analysis/">Formal analysis</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Funding acquisition" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/funding-acquisition/">Funding acquisition</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Investigation" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/investigation/">Investigation</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Methodology" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/methodology/">Methodology</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Project administration" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/project-administration/">Project administration</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Resources" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/resources/">Resources</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Software" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/software/">Software</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Supervision" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/supervision/">Supervision</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Validation" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/validation/">Validation</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Visualization" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/visualization/">Visualization</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Writing – original draft" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/writing-original-draft/">Writing – original draft</role>
     <role vocab="credit" vocab-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/" vocab-term="Writing – review &amp; editing" vocab-term-identifier="https://credit.niso.org/contributor-roles/writing-review-editing/">Writing – review &amp; editing</role>
     <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
    </contrib>
    <aff id="aff1">
     <label>1</label>
     <institution-wrap>
      <institution-id institution-id-type="ror">https://ror.org/05saqv884</institution-id>
      <institution>Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.</institution>
     </institution-wrap>
    </aff>
   </contrib-group>
   <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2020-12-19">
    <day>19</day>
    <month>12</month>
    <year>2020</year>
   </pub-date>
   <pub-date publication-format="print" date-type="collection">
    <year>2020</year>
   </pub-date>
   <volume>6</volume>
   <issue>4</issue>
   <fpage>208</fpage>
   <lpage>209</lpage>
   <history>
    <date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2020-09-08">
     <day>08</day>
     <month>09</month>
     <year>2020</year>
    </date>
    <date date-type="rev-recd" iso-8601-date="2020-10-18">
     <day>18</day>
     <month>10</month>
     <year>2020</year>
    </date>
    <date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2020-11-04">
     <day>04</day>
     <month>11</month>
     <year>2020</year>
    </date>
   </history>
   <permissions>
    <copyright-statement>© 2020 The Author(s)</copyright-statement>
    <copyright-year>2020</copyright-year>
    <license>
     <ali:license_ref>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/</ali:license_ref>
     <license-p>This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.</license-p>
    </license>
   </permissions>
   <self-uri xlink:href="https://www.ulutasmedicaljournal.com/?mno=131218"/>
   <self-uri content-type="pdf" xlink:href="https://www.ulutasmedicaljournal.com/pdf/131218.pdf"/>
   <abstract>
    <p>Recently, the world has been faced with the dilemma of combating the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The rising incidence and prevalence rate of this disease is alarming, and the related death rates is worrisome. As healthcare workers and professionals continue to fight this outbreak, there is an urgent demand to strengthen them against possible psychological injury emanating from the discharge of their duties. More so, it is essential that governments and stakeholders in the health sectors take preemptive actions towards strengthening the well-being and welfare of healthcare workers.</p>
   </abstract>
   <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
    <kwd>COVID-19</kwd>
    <kwd>Healthcare workers</kwd>
    <kwd>Healthcare professionals</kwd>
    <kwd>Pandemic</kwd>
   </kwd-group>
   <funding-group>
    <funding-statement>Funding information was not reported in the published version of this article.</funding-statement>
   </funding-group>
  </article-meta>
 </front>
 <body>
  <p id="b-1">
   <bold>Dear Editor, </bold>
In recent months, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has continually ravaged the globe. The confirmed cases and mortalities globally as of September 7, 2020, stand at 27,137,624 and 889,213 respectively (   <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">1</xref>
). As it stands, there is no established cure for COVID-19, thus the best and most effective approach for combating the virus is through early detection, isolation, and diagnosis. Other proven strategies include proper handwashing hygiene, physical and social distancing, use of face masks, and prohibition of mass gatherings (   <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2">2</xref>
). Above all, there is a dire demand to further strengthen the level of capacity and protection of frontline and general healthcare workers and professionals.</p>
  <p id="b-2">The rising number of cases of infected healthcare workers around the world is worrisome, as this may have occurred largely due to lack of taking precautionary measures and limited protection at workplaces, most especially at the onset of the pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak has also thrown many health care workers into unparalleled circumstances, as the majority will need to make difficult choices and perform their duty under immense pressures, thus resulting in either moral damage or mental health complications (   <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3">3</xref>
). Hence, there is a need to evaluate and understand the psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care workers and professionals, to direct policies and interventions to sustain their total well-being. As the pandemic persists with the possible reemergence of new waves of infections, healthcare professionals and workers are at increased risk of psychological burdens (moral and mental) while dealing with loads of challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, governments, healthcare administrators, and managers must take proactive steps to protect the psychological wellbeing of their workers. They must be honest about the circumstances their staff are likely to face while performing their duties. Some of the strategies to adopt in supporting healthcare workers' welfare are by strengthening teams and supplying constant contact to deliberate on decisions and check on their well-being (   <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3">3</xref>
).</p>
  <p id="b-3">These recommend that adequate levels of precautions, essential clinical and policy plans, alongside strict enforcement of suggested guidelines can support in preventing the healthcare workers from COVID-19 infections and possible danger of death, as they continually struggle to save millions of lives in a devastating pandemic ravaging the whole world. Furthermore, as the pandemic begins to subside, healthcare workers and professionals must be rigorously supervised, reinforced, and, if needed, supplied with evidence-based treatments and interventions.</p>
 </body>
 <back>
  <ref-list>
   <title>References</title>
   <ref id="ref1">
    <label>1</label>
    <mixed-citation publication-type="journal">John Hopkins University and Medicine. Coronavirus Resource Center. Accessed September 7, 2020, from: https://corona virus.jhu. edu/map.html</mixed-citation>
   </ref>
   <ref id="ref2">
    <label>2</label>
    <mixed-citation publication-type="journal">Oyeniran OI, Chia T, Onigbinde O, Ajagbe A. Avoiding an imminent catastrophe from COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: The need to urgently prohibit mass gatherings. Cumhuriyet Tıp Dergisi 2020;42(2):203-207</mixed-citation>
   </ref>
   <ref id="ref3">
    <label>3</label>
    <mixed-citation publication-type="journal">Greenberg N, Docherty M, Gnanapragasam S, Wessely S. Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic. BMJ 2020 March 26;368: m1211. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m1211</mixed-citation>
   </ref>
  </ref-list>
 </back>
</article>
