Abstract：
The coronavirus pandemic shocked the already overwhelmed global healthcare system, challenging its preparedness to deal with mass fatalities. Our research examines the safety issues faced by healthcare workers when handling dead (deceased) bodies, highlighting the need for better strategies in the event of mass fatalities. Healthcare providers involved in dead body handling during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. were eligible to participate in our study. Using a web-based survey, we analyzed responses of 206 participants across 43 U.S. states. We used the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to deduce themes from participants\' open-ended responses. The study showed how routine tasks become extraordinarily challenging during pandemic due to increased workload, emotional stress, and resource constraints. Tasks such as lifting and transferring bodies, underscored physical and emotional toll on workers. The mental strain induced by mass fatalities and the complexities of communicating with families and peers were also prominent, adding to the overall burden on healthcare workers. The participants emphasized the importance of specialized training, policy refinements, and improvements in its implementation. In conclusion, our study contributes to understanding the complexities of dead body handling during a pandemic. It underscores the need for emergency response planning and systemic changes in healthcare policies and practices to ensure the safety and well-being of healthcare workers engaged in these critical tasks.
摘要：
冠状病毒大流行震惊了已经不堪重负的全球医疗保健系统，挑战其应对大规模死亡的准备。我们的研究检查了医护人员在处理死亡（死者）尸体时面临的安全问题，强调在大规模死亡的情况下需要更好的策略。在美国COVID-19大流行期间参与尸体处理的医疗保健提供者有资格参加我们的研究。使用基于网络的调查，我们分析了美国43个州206名参与者的反应.我们使用患者安全系统工程计划（SEIPS）框架从参与者的开放式回答中推断主题。该研究表明，在大流行期间，由于工作量增加，常规任务变得异常具有挑战性，情绪压力,和资源约束。提升和转移尸体等任务，强调了工人的身体和情感损失。大规模死亡引起的精神压力以及与家人和同伴沟通的复杂性也很突出，增加了医护人员的总体负担。与会者强调了专门培训的重要性,政策完善，及其实施方面的改进。总之,我们的研究有助于了解大流行期间尸体处理的复杂性。它强调了应急响应计划和医疗保健政策和实践的系统性变化的必要性，以确保从事这些关键任务的医护人员的安全和福祉。
