Contamination OCD in health care workers during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic

Background The outbreak of a novel coronavirus in ۲۰۱۹ followed by a global pandemic introduced the world to a viral disease unprecedented in modern times, causing millions of hospitalizations and deaths. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who fight at the frontline in the battle against COVID-۱۹ have been among the chief victims of the disease. Furthermore, many of them suffered other impacts of the pandemic and developed psychological disorders. Methods Participants were ۱۴۰ health care workers from Tabriz medical centers. Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was used for the measurement of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the questionnaires. Results ۳۶ people of the the total of ۱۱۷ participants who filled in the questionnaire showed symptoms of OCD. Based on the scale ۲۱ people were classified as mild, ۱۳ people as moderate, and two people as severe cases of OCD. Eight people who suffered severe OCD had a history of illness before the pandemic. Seven people with new onset disorder attributed their symptoms to obsession over hygiene resulting from the fear of the pandemic. Two cases reported family histories of OCD.Conclusions These results corroborate the role of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic in the development and resurgence of OCD symptoms in health care workers.