AUTHOR=Montero-Navarro Sergio , Sánchez-Más Jesús , Salar-Andreu Cristina , Molina-Payá Francisco Javier , Orts-Ruiz Cristina , Botella-Rico José Martin , Tuells José , Rodríguez-Blanco Noelia 

TITLE=Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Work Activity of Spanish Physical Therapists and Their Response to Vaccination

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.877232

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.877232

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<p>Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical therapists have had to adopt a set of specific protection measures, which have had an impact on their clinical activity and economy. The objective was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of Spanish physical therapists, as well as their attitudes and predisposition to vaccination. An online questionnaire was divided into five sections: (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B1">1</xref>) demographic and professional data; (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B2">2</xref>) labor impact; (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B3">3</xref>) precautions and infection-control measures; (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B4">4</xref>) economic impact; and (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B5">5</xref>) vaccine acceptance and adverse effects. Of the 666 participants, 62.1% showed a reduction in their working hours motivated by: fear of infection (<italic>p</italic> = 0.007), financial issues (<italic>p</italic> = 0.002) and being in quarantine or isolation (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). Of these, 36.4% were forced to close the clinic, 62.7% requested help from the government, but only 12.04% mentioned that it was adequate. The main prevention measures adopted were the use of gels and masks and, in the private sector, disinfection with ozone or ultraviolet light (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). The acceptance of the vaccine was high, 87.5%, being lower among the group over 40 years of age, self-employed, widowed or separated. More adverse effects were mentioned after receiving the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, compared to Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. In conclusion, this study assessed for the first time that the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain had a negative impact on work and finances of physical therapists. The vaccine was widely accepted, in part by the economic impact that an infection in the work setting could signify.</p>