Table 2.
Work environment and relationship changes during the pandemic
| Characteristic | Frequency | % |
| Frontline area (n=7846) | ||
| Primary care or community practitioner | 1250 | 15.9 |
| Medical specialty areas* | 1205 | 15.4 |
| Emergency department | 1146 | 14.6 |
| Anaesthetics, perioperative care or surgical areas | 824 | 10.5 |
| Intensive care unit | 745 | 9.5 |
| General medicine | 644 | 8.2 |
| Hospital aged care | 536 | 6.8 |
| Respiratory medicine | 336 | 4.3 |
| Palliative care | 292 | 3.7 |
| Infectious diseases | 171 | 2.2 |
| Paramedicine | 99 | 1.3 |
| Radiology | 61 | 0.8 |
| Hospital pharmacy | 42 | 0.5 |
| Pathology | 31 | 0.4 |
| Worked in multiple or other areas† | 464 | 5.9 |
| Location of practice (n=7846) | ||
| Metropolitan | 6373 | 81.2 |
| Regional | 1407 | 17.9 |
| Remote | 66 | 0.8 |
| Currently working with people infected with COVID-19 (n=7846) | ||
| Yes | 3063 | 39.0 |
| No | 4783 | 61.0 |
| Number of patients infected with COVID-19 cared for, mean (SD) | 1.4 (0.43) | |
| Anticipating working with people infected with COVID-19 (n=4775) | ||
| Yes | 2891 | 60.5 |
| No | 1884 | 39.5 |
| Received training on PPE during the pandemic (n=7846) | ||
| Yes | 5137 | 65.5 |
| No | 2709 | 34.5 |
| Being worried that their roles will lead to them transmitting COVID-19 to family (n=5954) | ||
| Not worried | 729 | 12.2 |
| Neutral | 674 | 11.3 |
| Worried or very worried | 4551 | 76.4 |
| Being worried about being blamed by colleagues if they contract COVID-19 (n=7846) | ||
| Neutral | 1275 | 16.3 |
| Not worried | 1622 | 20.7 |
| Worried | 4949 | 63.1 |
| Experiencing close friends/relatives infected with COVID-19 in Australia or overseas (n=7846) | ||
| Yes | 2398 | 30.6 |
| No | 5448 | 69.4 |
| Impact of COVID-19 on relationships (n=7846) | ||
| Closer or stronger relationship with | ||
| Partner | 2266 | 28.9 |
| Children/parents/family | 2226 | 28.4 |
| Friends | 1054 | 13.4 |
| Work colleagues | 2533 | 32.3 |
| Worse relationship with | ||
| Partner | 1000 | 12.7 |
| Children/parents/family | 1421 | 18.1 |
| Friends | 2221 | 28.3 |
| Work colleagues | 1116 | 14.2 |
| No effect on relationships | 1852 | 23.6 |
| Change in household income due to COVID-19 (n=7846) | ||
| Increased | 820 | 10.5 |
| Decreased | 2415 | 30.8 |
| No change | 4611 | 58.8 |
| Concerns or worries about household income since COVID-19 (n=7846) | ||
| Yes | 2416 | 30.8 |
| No | 5430 | 69.2 |
*Medical specialty areas included all medical specialties other than hospital aged care, general medicine, respiratory medicine, palliative care and infectious diseases. The latter were reported separately due to their potentially increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.
†This group included (but was not limited to) people working in leadership roles, clerical roles, support roles, food preparation, facilities maintenance, screening clinics and clinical scientists.
COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; PPE, personal protective equipment.