Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT)

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 (known as Coronavirus) virus a global pandemic. COVID-19 is a variant of coronavirus thought to originate in Wuhan province China. The infection has spread from China to Western pacific region reports, Europe, South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean region, Region of the Americas, African Region.  Both the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine measures can have marked detrimental effects on physical and mental health of the general population as well as on health care workers involved in the management of COVID-19 affected patients. The objective of this project is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures on the physical and mental health of the general population as well as on health care workers. Our hypothesis is that the physical and mental health of the general population and health care workers involved in the management of COVID-19 infected people is heavily affected by COVID-19, but that risk and protective factors exist, which could inform strategies for mental health care after the pandemic is over, and inform also future preventive strategies should other pandemic situations arise.

Hypotheses:

1. Compared to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic, in both the general population and, especially, in health care workers exposed to COVID-19 infected patients, the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on physical and mental health and wellbeing as well as help-seeking behaviors and access to care (wave 1 survey during the COVID-19 pandemic)
2. Certain environmental, societal, demographic, medical, psychiatric and situational characteristics will be associated with a greater acute negative impact during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (wave 1 survey)
3. Certain environmental, societal, demographic, medical, psychiatric and situational characteristics will be associated with a greater enduring negative impact approximately 6 months (wave 2 survey) and approximately 12 months (wave 3 survey) after the COVID-19 pandemic has resolved
4. Both acutely (Wave 1 survey), mid-term (wave 2 survey) and longer-term (wave 3 study), certain age groups (children, adolescents, young, middle-aged or older aged-adults, elderly) and professions (e.g., health care workers) will be more vulnerable to adverse COVID-19 effects than others

We plan to distribute 3 different surveys based on the age group. The first survey, COH-FIT-Adults (COH-FIT-A), will be distributed the general adult (age >/= 18 years old) population in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia via an online link, making the general population aware of the project via public announcements, social media and regular media coverage outlets, or via specialized institutes and agencies (e.g., opinion research centers) that are capable of using a randomly selected, nationally representative sample (potentially funded by national / local grant applications). For the subgroup of adult health care professionals, additionally, survey distribution mechanisms will be used that utilize medical professional organizations and associations, hospital and university anonymized channels.