How Pathologists Dealt with the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, pathologists had to follow new protocols in their work environment around the world to limit or prevent the possibility of transmission of the infection during the autopsy of infected corpses. By using a qualitative research design, in this study, we investigated the emotions, experiences, and opinions of pathologists concerning changes in clinical practices. We specifically investigated their perspective on death. Our results encompassed five thematic areas, which included the effect of changes, courage to face the fear of death and trauma, attitude toward death and resilience, distress caused by internalized death, and the scientific mission and motivation to fight the fear of death. Additionally, disagreement within the scientific community and a negative attitude of people toward the work of pathologists who performed autopsies of COVID-infected cadavers further undervalued their work. We also discussed the necessity of controlling emotions when working in a clinical setting where exposure to dead bodies is inevitable.