Comparison of the anxiety level between the medical staff and the public during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Background: A sudden outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Up-to-date, there have been limited studies examining the anxiety status of Chinese individuals in the early phase of the pandemic period (January 30, 2020-February 15, 2020). This survey aimed to compare the level of anxiety of the medical staff with that of the public and to provide a theoretical basis for developing an effective psychological intervention.

Method: Questionnaires were sent on the Internet (http://www.wjx.cn) during this period. The anxiety levels of Chinese people were investigated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the demographic data were collected simultaneously.

Results: A total of 1110 participants were enrolled in this study, with an effective response rate of 100%. A total of 482 respondents were medical staff (43.4%), while 628 were members of the general public (56.6%). The medical staff itself had a higher SAS score than the general public (48.36±13.40 vs. 45.74±11.79, P < 0.01), while the medical staff in Wuhan were more anxious than the public in Wuhan with a higher SAS score (54.17±14.08 vs. 48.53±11.92, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the anxiety levels of the medical staff and the public, with the medical personnel showing a higher anxiety level than the public, especially female medical staff in Wuhan. Therefore, urgent intervention programs to reduce anxiety should be implemented.