EFN Report on Covid19 Deaths & Infections - 21 December 2020

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 3
Main Report ..................................................................................................................... 4

1. Background ............................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Method.......................................................................................................................... 4

2. Results....................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Countries represented in this report ............................................................................ 5
3.2 Number of nurses infected with COVID-19 .................................................................. 6
3.3 Number of nurses who died with COVID-19................................................................. 7

3. Contextualising the results......................................................................................... 7
4. Policy recommendations.......................................................................................... 10
5. What can be done to protect nurses?......................................................................... 9
6. What can the European Institutions do? .................................................................... 9
7. Conclusion............................................................................................................... 11
EFN Members input country per country......................................................................... 12
EFN Members ................................................................................................................. 22

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-2-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

Executive Summary

Through its widespread and unprecedented damage to health and healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic
has been gradually disintegrating the fabric of society not only in Europe but across the world. On the
COVID-19 frontlines, nurses have shown unwavering courage as they continue to provide lifesaving
care for those who survive, and respectful deaths to those who succumb to the COVID-19 virus. But
nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic has not always been a big success story. Nurses have been
pleading for resources, protective equipment and support to continue to provide care safely; but often
their pleads have not been heard. As a result, across the world it is estimated that more nurses have
died during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the first World War.

The European Federation of Nurses’ Association (EFN), as the representative body for over 3 million
nurses in Europe, has continued throughout the pandemic to gather intelligence about the impact of
COVID-19 on nurses, stepping in where others have stepped out. The series of EFN policy reports on
COVID-19 developed from this intelligence gathering are a vital resource of factual, comparative data
and insights into health care in Europe.

The current interim report examines input from 27 National Nurses Associations across Europe,
representing 77% of the EFN membership. Through identifying official and estimated numbers of
nurses who were infected and died with COVID-19, the EFN presents this document as a resource for
healthcare stakeholders, policy makers, clinicians, patients and the public to invite discussion, policy
response and exchange of practice to strengthen ongoing resilience in the nursing workforce across
Europe during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the analysis of the data submitted by the EFN Members, there has been a collective failure
by European governments to protect nurses with a conservative estimate of over 125,000 being
infected with COVID-19; and over 150 succumbing to the virus. More alarmingly still is that many
European governments fail to accurately collect and report the numbers of nurses infected and died
with COVID-19, significantly hindering Europe’s ability to plan an evidence-informed response to
protect nurses moving forward.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage through the nursing workforce, and stretching health
services across Europe to their limit, the EFN Members plea with the European Institutions and
national governments to take action now to protect and support Europe’s nurses. Supporting Europe’s
nurses during this pandemic is vital, not only to protect the current nursing workforce but also to build
confidence among would be nurses that nursing is a valued, safe and protected profession in which to
invest their future. While the year 2020 is drawing to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over.
Unless action is taken now, the damage to the nursing workforce will continue to haunt Europe for
decades to come.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020

-3-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

Main Report

1. Background

Through its widespread and unprecedented damage to health and healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic
has been said to be gradually disintegrating the fabric of society not only in Europe but across the
world. On the COVID-19 frontlines, nurses have shown unwavering courage as they continue to provide
lifesaving care for those who survive, and respectful deaths to those who succumb to the COVID-19
virus. But nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic has not always been a big success story. Nurses have
been pleading for resources, protective equipment and support to continue to provide care safely; but
often their pleads have not been heard. As a result, across the world the International Council of
Nurses now estimates that more nurses have died during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the first
World War.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all layers of society, reshaping political priorities, strategies and
budgets all over Europe, and the world. Supporting healthcare professionals is a common priority
across European countries but actions have so far been local, ad hoc and disjointed. As Europe
prepares to initiate its largest vaccination programme, it is imperative that concrete and immediate
actions are taken to support and protect frontline healthcare professionals, and nurses in particular.

Nurses across Europe, as the frontline of health and social care, are uniquely positioned to feel the
pulse of present developments and challenges. The European Federation of Nurses’ Association (EFN),
Members have long appreciated that nurses’ real-world experiences from the frontline are a vital
resource to inform and support healthcare planning, system design and evidence-informed policy
making. During these rapidly changing times, nurses’ real-world experience is essential to ensuring
safe, effective, accessible, and resilient healthcare.

The EFN, as the representative body for over 3 million nurses in Europe, has continued throughout the
pandemic to gather intelligence about the impact of COVID-19 on nurses, stepping in where others
have stepped out. The series of EFN policy reports on COVID-19 developed from this intelligence
gathering are a vital resource of factual, comparative data and insights into health and social care in
the European Union and Europe.

1.1 Method
Data for the current report originate from all the EFN Members participating in the EFN General
Assembly in October 2020 as well as responses to a follow-up survey completed in December 2020.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-4-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

The EFN Members fed back on two key questions concerning the number of nurses infected with
COVID-19, and the number of nurses who died from the virus. Following this data gathering exercise,
data have been summarised through tabulation techniques and descriptive statistics including counts
and percentages. The findings presented here are shared with key stakeholders and among the EFN
Members not to compare or rank national responses to the pandemic, but rather to inform the work
of the European Commission and of the EFN Members in different countries; and, to foster
development of connections to support each other in this joint effort to support European nurses
during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Results

3.1 Countries represented in this report
This survey presents input from 27 National Nurses’ Associations across Europe, representing a
response rate of 77% of EFN Members. The EFN Members’ input is presented below grouped under
the two questions of numbers of nurses infected and died with COVID-19.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-5-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

Data available to EFN Members came from different sources, some from national statistics and others
directly from the nursing community based on records held by national nurses’ associations. In all
cases, these numbers should be regarded as conservative estimates since data is slow to collect, not
always up to date, and therefore often inaccurate. In most countries collecting such data is not a
national requirement and therefore relies on voluntary reporting initiatives. Consequently, the true
picture of nurses infected and died with COVID-19 is highly likely to be much, much worse than what
is currently known.

3.2 Number of nurses infected with COVID-19
In total, the EFN Members estimate that over 128,000 nurses have been infected with COVID-19. This
figure represents input from 20 countries where such data is accessible. It is notable that while Austria,
Finland, Germany, Norway, Romania, and the UK participated in the current exercise they did not have
complete and readily available data on the number of nurses infected in their country. This was due to
such data not being collected by their national governments, not made available or data on nurses
conflated with that of other healthcare professions.

Nurses infected with COVID-19 (by country)
55,000

50,000 40,000
40,000

30,000

20,000 9,489 796 872 205 3,2762,2532,7005,625 49
10,000
516 396 102 1,536 167 3,523 1,400 200
0 65

Numbers across European countries range significantly, largely influenced by the population size and
number of nurses available in each country. From the available data, the number of nurses infected
with COVID-19 across Europe ranges from under 100 (e.g. in Iceland, and Slovenia) to thousands (e.g.
in France, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia). In Italy and Spain, the number of nurses infected with COVID-19
is estimated to exceed 40,000.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-6-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

3.3 Number of nurses who died with COVID-19
Across Europe, based on the limited data available, almost 200 nurses (n=177) are known to have died
with COVID-19 to date. There are significant differences in the numbers reported by EFN Members,
only partially explained by country population size. For example, EFN Members from Albania, Bulgaria,
Montenegro, Poland, Serbia and Spain report fewer than 10 nurses dying with COVID-19; while in Italy
the number exceeds 50, and in the UK it exceeds 100. Of note, the UK data are over 6 months old since
the last official report from the UK Office for National Statistics reports data up to May 25th 2020.

Nurses who died with COVID-19 (by country)

101
100

90

80

70

60
51

50

40

30

20 020640090

10 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
0

It is encouraging that many countries reported no known nurse deaths to date, though the accuracy
of this is difficult to verify. Examining these data, it becomes obvious that nurses in some European
countries have, and continue to, suffer to a significantly greater extent compared to other, often
neighbouring countries.

3. Contextualising the results

The picture concerning the numbers of nurses infected and died with COVID-19 across the EFN
Members is alarming. Accuracy of these date, and consequent policy recommendations, remain
challenged by the inadequate collection and reporting of nursing-specific data at national level, as well

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-7-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

as by the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic. The data reported here are not surprising when
taken in the context of earlier EFN reports on COVID-19.

Specifically, earlier EFN analyses in this series of reports concerning the impact of COVID-19 on nurses
in Europe, EFN Members expressed grave concerns over the level of preparedness seen at national
and European level. Concerns were especially noted around serious lack of personal protective
equipment and evidence-informed protocols to ensure nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 are
sufficiently protected. This lack of preparedness was generally worse in care homes, which left nurses
working in those settings vulnerable to the virus with limited education and protection, especially
during the initial surge.

A further challenge faced by nurses in Europe concerns access to testing, which also suggests the true
number of nurses infected with COVID-19 is likely to be much higher than what is currently known.
While availability of testing continues to improve, EFN Members remain concerned about the level of
inconsistency seen within countries concerning access to testing being influenced by the healthcare
setting (i.e. acute or residential care) and kind of hospital employer (i.e. large/ small, public/ private)
nurses find themselves in. This potentially places some nurses at a more vulnerable state compared to
others.

A third challenge which helps contextualise the data presented in the current report is the significant
increase in nurses’ workload, not only concerning the care to patients with COVID-19 but additionally
continuing to provide care to the rest of the population with ongoing conditions such as cancer,
diabetes and ischemic heart disease. Nurses have shown unprecedented levels of flexibility and
resilience, working above their expected working hours and in settings beyond their usual areas of
expertise. However, this has increased reported levels of burnout with nurses feeling physically
exhausted and psychologically scarred. This ongoing state of exhaustion leaves nurses more vulnerable
to the virus, even as availability of protective equipment, testing and access to vaccines improves.

The current and expected rates of nurses getting infected, living with the long-term consequences of,
or dying with COVID-19, in combination with the increase in nurse burnout, worsen the issue of nurse
shortage significantly. As a result, many EFN Members are expecting a rise in intentions to quit nursing
due to a general feeling among nurses that their contribution is not valued, which will make managing
future pandemics highly problematic. Given the difficulties of providing nursing care during the
pandemic, with increased workload and rising uncertainty, there is a real risk of a large number of
nurses leaving the profession at a time when they are needed most.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-8-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

4. What can be done to protect nurses?

While Europe continues the good fight against COVID-19, to date there has been limited concerted
attempt by national governments to engage with nurses and their representative organisations at
national level. The data shown in the current report concerning nurse infections and deaths with
COVID-19 implicate governments in a collective failure to protect those sent to the pandemic frontline.
The nursing workforce will not be able to continue to absorb the hits it receives on a daily basis for
much longer. Initiatives are now urgently needed, which should be developed following a co-design
approach involving nurses and their representatives as the end users.
It is important to remember that nurse infections and deaths with COVID-19 are but indicators of the
significant impact the pandemic has had on nurses and nursing. Further to the physical impact, mental
health difficulties among nurses have also been on the rise as a result of their exposure to the virus
itself, as well as to the care needs of critically ill patients, devastated family members and high rates
of mortality. Moreover, with the majority of nurses being women with caring responsibilities, an
infection with COVID-19, and subsequent isolation, has also had significant and negative ripple effects
across their family units.
The high number of nurse infections and deaths reported here point to inadequate support for nurses,
certainly in some countries more than others. Earlier EFN reports in this COVID-19 series point to nurse
concerns about access to protective equipment, testing, psychological support and safe working
conditions. The numbers of nurses infected and died with COVID-19 are conservative estimates, and
in many ways represent a best-case scenario; given some of the data is already dated, and the
widespread challenges of incomplete reporting, the reality in Europe is highly likely to be much, much
worse. If collective action is not taken soon, the nursing workforce may suffer irreplicable damage,
from which it may take years to recover. Such an outcome would damage healthcare across Europe,
compromise health system resilience and leave the citizens of Europe vulnerable and exposed to future
pandemics.

5. What can the European Institutions do?

To protect nurses, and in so doing safeguard the future of healthcare in Europe, the EFN Members
implore the European Commission, national governments, and other European stakeholders to take

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-9-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

coordinated and immediate supportive action in collaboration with nurses themselves and their
representative organisations. In the years to come, as Europe moves from a responsive to a recovery
phase, a key challenge for the European Institutions will be how to best incorporate in the design of
pandemic recovery planning the experience and expertise of those at the coalface, frontline nurses.

Pandemic recovery planning should begin sooner rather than later, but to do so reliably it is important
to have access to reliable data concerning the true impact of the pandemic on the healthcare
workforce, and specifically on nurses. It is clear from the EFN series on COVID-19, based on real-world
evidence amassed and shared by the EFN Members, that the nursing workforce needs to be better
equipped, prepared, and protected if it is to contribute to driving health system resilience in Europe
moving forward.

Accurate and up-to-date data about the number of nurses infected and died with COVID-19 must be
put in place as a priority. This will not only help with future planning but will also send a strong message
to the nursing workforce that nurse lives matter to the European Commission and to their national
governments.

Finally, European Institutions are strongly encouraged to increase investment in ensuring safe nurse
staffing numbers through recruitment and retention initiatives; allocate dedicated funding for the
ongoing provision of protective equipment to frontline nurses; offer psychological, physical, financial
and social support services to nurses adversely affected by the pandemic; and ensure a safe workplace
through encouraging national governments to implement existing legislation for appropriate health
and safety measures and positive work environments for nurses.

6. Policy recommendations

Based on the data collected by EFN Members to date concerning the negative impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on nurses and nursing, and in light of the rising figures concerning the number of nurses
infected and died with COVID-19, the EFN calls to European and National health stakeholders to:

• Ensure accurate and continuous recording of cases of nurses infected with and died from
COVID-19;

• Make data on the impact of COVID-19 on nurses and nursing available to help plan an
evidence-informed response and recovery plan moving forward;

• Acknowledge the significant negative impact and risk of COVID-19 to nurses and nursing; and
offer support to manage the damage and contain the risk;

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-10-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

• Ensure ongoing and adequate supply of protective and care equipment for healthcare workers
and nurses in particular, irrespective of their work setting (public or private, in community or
acute care settings);

• Provide freely and easily accessible testing for nurses, regardless of symptoms or exposure to
the COVID-19 virus;

• Engage with nurses and their representatives at national and European level to plan the
provision of adequate support for nurses, especially those whose health has been negatively
affected by COVID-19;

• Plan and initiate measures to protect health systems across Europe from the imminent
worsening of the nurse shortage, by focussing on nurse staffing and wellbeing;

• Overcome the variability and inconsistency nurses across Europe experience with regard to
pandemic response and recovery planning; working towards a coordinated approach across
health settings and countries.

7. Conclusion

The devastation witnessed during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brings into focus the importance
of having strong and resilient healthcare systems in Europe; a key means with which to achieve system
resilience is by supporting and protecting the biggest workforce delivering frontline care, nurses. The
pandemic poses a significant threat both to those who receive and those who deliver healthcare; both
within and across national borders. To ensure the safety of all stakeholders, measures to ensure
adequate protection against the transmission of, and recovery from, COVID-19 must be consistently
applied across Europe.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage through the nursing workforce, and stretching health
services across Europe to their limit, the EFN Members plea with the European Institutions and
national governments to take action now to protect and support our nurses. Supporting European
nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital, not only to protect the current nursing workforce but
also to build confidence among would be nurses that nursing is a valued, safe and protected profession
in which to invest their future.
While the year 2020 is drawing to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. Unless action is
taken now, the damage to the nursing workforce will continue to haunt Europe for decades to come.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-11-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

EFN Members input country per country

ALBANIA
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

516 Nurses
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

2 Nurses

AUSTRIA
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

No data available.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

No data available.

BELGIUM
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

No data available.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

No data available.

BULGARIA
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

396 Nurses.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

2 Nurses.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-12-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

CROATIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No data available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No data available.

CYPRUS

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
102 Nurses.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
0 Nurses

CZECH REPUBLIC

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No response available.

DENMARK

3. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
1,536 Nurses – d. 22. September. We receive new data once a week. Within the social- and
healthcare sector infection among workers are highest in the hospitals (also higher than nursing
homes). The nurses are overrepresented among the infected – due to the close contact with the
patients.

4. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
0 Nurses according to our knowledge. In Denmark, we have no official systematic data regarding
death and occupation.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-13-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

ESTONIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
According to the Health Board (01.12.2020), 167 nurses have become ill with COVID 19 since the
beginning of the pandemic.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
Fortunately, no nurse has died from COVID19.

FINLAND

3. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Data is not collected. Based on the report dated on 22nd September 2020: Health care workers
accounted for about 5.3 percent of all coronavirus cases diagnosed among working-age people
during the summer (9.6.–31.8.2020). In the spring, the share of health care workers in all cases of
coronavirus detected among working-age people was about 17 per cent. (For a perspective: ca 7.4
per cent of all working-age people work in health services).

4. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
To that date, no deaths had been reported.

FYR MACEDONIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No response available.

FRANCE

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No official numbers but 9,489 nurses have declared in an official survey having been infected; 27%
of all HCP (over 27,743 heath care professionals).

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No official records but 16 HCP died since March 1st, but no nurses.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-14-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

GERMANY

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
In Germany we do not have numbers for nurses, we only have combined numbers for employees
in health institutions, long term care facilities, doctors practices and some other institutions
(including prisons). These numbers are as of 30 November: Infected: 48,841, Died: 81, Treatment
in hospitals: 1,679. However, the Robert Koch Institute - which is mandated by the MoH to collect
data - says that this data is not complete because they collect data from the local health authorities
and this particular information is voluntary.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No data available.

GREECE

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No response available.

HUNGARY

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No response available.

ICELAND

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
65 Nurses; but we have not the registration yet whether that is through work or leisure time.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-15-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

0 Nurses.

IRELAND

1. . Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

The problem is that the records in Ireland re HCW death are misleading, they record 8 deaths but
these are recorded as HCW, who died with Covid as opposed to from COVID, that means , one nurse
was recorded she was as I understand it v ill, terminal, not at work for a year, contracted COVID and
was recorded as a HCW when she passed away. Infection rates as a % of total infection is the
measurement that is best used for comparisons as the number of nurses infected on its own does
not tell us the real story, so as a % of all infections , Irelands figure I set out below for ease of
reference, we are now publicising them on our site weekly.

The number of healthcare workers contracting COVID continues to grow. The INMO will now be
sending weekly updates on the growing infection rate among healthcare workers, along the lines
of our daily Trolley Watch updates.

Figures (up to 21/11/2020):

All COVID cases HCW cases (%) Nurse cases (%)
353 (14%) 114 (4%)
Latest week (15-21 Nov) 2,583 11,679 (16.4%) 3,523 (5%)

Overall (since March) 71,028

Nurses continue to be the largest group of healthcare workers infected with the virus, making up
32% of all healthcare worker cases in the most recent week for which figures are available (15-21
Nov). In the most recent week, nurses made up 4% of all new COVID cases. Sources: INMO analysis
of HPSC weekly reports into healthcare worker infection rates: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-
z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/surveillance/covid-19casesinhealthcareworkers/No
response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No data available.

ITALY

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Estimated data: About 40,000 nurses have been infected (cumulative data) - in the last 30 days
about 11,000.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
Estimated data: 51 deaths and 5 suicides.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-16-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

LATVIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
441 nurses & 355 nurse assistants.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
0 Nurses.

LITHUANIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Unfortunately, it is difficult enough to get the official data about medical workers ill with covid-19
disease in Lithuania. Official data are not provided because of stigma prevention against medical
workers. The most recent data we gathered from official institutions are as follows: At quarantine
week 48, a total of 1,006 health care workers became ill with covid-19, including 925 women and
81 men; In hospitals: Nurses Quarantined because of COVID-19 disease- 198. Temporarily isolated
because of COVID-19 - 674.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No data available.

LUXEMBOURG

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

We asked several times, but unfortunately the Luxembourgish government didn’t
communicate this numbers to the Luxembourg Nurses Association.

MALTA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
No response available.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No response available.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-17-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

MONTENEGRO
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

205 Nurses.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

2 Nurses.

NETHERLANDS
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

No response available.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

No response available.

NORWAY
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

No data available.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

0 Nurses.

POLAND
1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?

3,276 Nurses.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?

6 Nurses.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-18-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

PORTUGAL

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
The Minister of Health, Marta Temido, revealed on November 13th that the new coronavirus has
already infected 8,755 health professionals in Portugal so far, and 5143 of these people have been
considered recovered from the disease. Most of the infected belong to the class of nurses (2253
cases), followed by operational assistants (2037) and physicians (991 cases). By the end of October,
Covid-19 had reached 6500 health professionals.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
There aren´t any official report of deaths related with Covid-19 regarding nurses.

ROMANIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
3335 cases of infected medical personnel, including nurses.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
35 health workers - 22 medical doctors and nurses, 13 auxiliary personnel.

SERBIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
2,700 Nurses.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
4 Nurses.

SLOVAKIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have registered a total of 11,518 infected
healthcare workers in Slovakia. (5,200,000 inhabitants in Slovakia). Of these, 5,625 are registered
in the nurse category.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
0 Nurses.

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-19-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

SLOVENIA

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
49 Nurses.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
0 Nurses.

SPAIN

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Total health professionals 93.000 (official data from the Minister of Health 27/11/20). We do not
have the exact number of infected nurses. We estimate that there are about 55,000 infected
nurses.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
9 Nurses.

SWEDEN

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
1400 nurses have reported in to Swedish authorithies But the figures are very uncertain. There
may be a large numbers of not registered cases.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
We do not have any statistics in Sweden on this. On the other hand, we in VF have an ongoing case
about a deceased covid-infected reg nurse.

SWITZERLAND

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
In Switzerland there is no political will for an notification obligation for health professionals (like
there is in Germany for Instance). So we have no official numbers of nurses infected or death. In
August we made a survey among our members. Results: 200 infected, 20 hospitalised and no one
is aware of any death. We had 4500 answers (out of 25 000 members). What we don’t know: are
they representative or did only persons answer who are personally concerned / touched. We know

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-20-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

that currently more nurses are infected, especially nurses in nursing homes. But as Covid-19 is very
present in the whole population, we don’t know what is nursing home or hospital acquired and
who got infected by family or friends. As in some places restaurants are open, there are many more
possibilities for getting infected during ones private life.
2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
No data available.

UK

1. Question 1 – How many nurses have been infected with COVID-19?
Infection rates of nursing staff – and broader health care workers – are not systematically recorded
so it is not possible to give an accurate figure for the UK.

2. Question 2 – How many nurses have died with COVID-19?
In terms of death rates, the latest figures in the UK are only available from May, and this does not
include data from Northern Ireland as this data is not recorded. Current estimates are that 570
care workers have now died because of Covid-19 – 284 of these are healthcare workers while 286
are social care workers. This data is only available up to 25 May 2020 for England and Wales, and
data from Scotland is from September – so we expect the true number is likely to be higher, but
has not been made available yet.
Figures from England and Wales demonstrate that up to May 25th there were 101 deaths of nurses
(31 men & 70 women), resulting from Covid-19, in England and Wales. Unfortunately, we would
expect this to be a much higher figure now – but do not currently have that data available. (Source:
ONS, Number of deaths involving COVID-19 and all causes by individual occupations and sex (those
aged 20 to 64 years), England and Wales, deaths registered between 9th March and 25th May
2020. The numbers presented here are based on provisional data, and findings could change as
more deaths are registered.).

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-21-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

EFN Members

ALBANIA
Ms Blerina Duka - President & Official Delegate
Albanian Order of Nurses
www.urdhriinfermierit.org

AUSTRIA
Ms Elisabeth Potzmann - President
Austrian Nurses Association (OEGKV)
www.oegkv.at

BELGIUM
Mr Yves Mengal - Delegate (FNIB) | Ms Deniz Avcioglu – Official Delegate (UGIB)
Fédération Nationale des Infirmières de Belgique | General Nursing Union of Belgium
www.fnib.be | www.ugib.be

BULGARIA
Ms Milka Vasileva - President & Official Delegate
Bulgarian Association of Health Professionals in Nursing (BAHPN)
www.nursing-bg.com

CROATIA
Ms Tanja Lupieri - President
Croatian Nurses Association (HUMS)
www.hums.hr

CYPRUS
Mr Ioannis Leontiou - President & Official Delegate
Cyprus Nurses and Midwives Association (CYNMA)
www.cyna.org

CZECH REPUBLIC
Ms Jana Hermanova – Official Delegate
Czech Nurses Association (CNNA)
www.cnna.cz

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-22-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

DENMARK
Ms Anni Pilgaard - Official Delegate
Danish Nurses’ Organisation (DNO)
www.dsr.dk

ESTONIA
Ms Gerli Liivet - Official Delegate
Estonian Nurses Union (ENU)
www.ena.ee

FINLAND
Ms Nina Hahtela - President & Official Delegate
Finnish Nurses Association
www.sairaanhoitajaliitto.fi

FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Ms Velka Gavrovska Lukic - President & Official Delegate
Macedonian Association of Nurses and Midwives
www.zmstam.org.mk

FRANCE
Mr François Barrière - Official Delegate
Association Nationale Française des Infirmiers & Infirmières Diplômés ou Etudiants (ANFIIDE)
www.anfiide.com

GERMANY
Mr Franz Wagner - Official Delegate
German Nurses Association (DBFK)
www.dbfk.de

GREECE
Dr Eleni Kyritsi-Koukoulari - President
Hellenic Nurses Association (ESNE)
www.esne.gr

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-23-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

HUNGARY
Ms Tünde Minya - President & Official Delegate
Hungarian Nursing Association
www.apolasiegyesulet.hu

ICELAND
Mr Guðbjörg Pálsdóttir - President & Official Delegate
Icelandic Nurses Association
www.hjukrun.is

IRELAND
Ms Phil Ni Sheaghdha - Delegate
Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO)
www.inmo.ie

ITALY
Ms Stefania Di Mauro – Official Delegate
Consociazione Nazionale delle Associazioni Infermiere - Infermieri (CNAI)
www.cnai.info

LATVIA
Ms Dita Raiska - President & Official Delegate
Latvian Nurses Association
www.masas.lv

LITHUANIA
Ms Danute Margeliene - President & Official Delegate
The Lithuanian Nurses’ Organisation
www.lsso.lt

LUXEMBOURG
Ms Anne-Marie Hanff - President
Association Nationale des Infirmier(e)s Luxembourgeois(es) (ANIL)
www.anil.lu

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-24-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

MALTA
Mr Paul Pace - President & Official Delegate
Official Delegate
Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN)
www.mumn.org

MONTENEGRO
Ms Nada Rondovic – President & Official Delegate
Nurses and Midwives Association of Montenegro

NETHERLANDS
Ms Stella Salden – President & Official Delegate
Nieuwe Unie’91 (NU’91)
www.nu91.nl

NORWAY
Ms Lill Sverresdatter Larsen – President & Official Delegate
Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NNO)
www.sykepleierforbundet.no

POLAND
Ms Grażyna Wójcik – President & Official Delegate
Polish Nurses Association (PNA)
www.ptp.na1.pl

PORTUGAL
Mr Luis Filipe Barreira – Official Delegate
Ordem dos Enfermeiros (OE)
www.ordemenfermeiros.pt

ROMANIA
Ms Ecaterina Gulie - President & Official Delegate
Romanian Nursing Association

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-25-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

SERBIA
Ms Radmila Nešić - President & Official Delegate
Association Health Workers of Serbia
www.szr.org.rs

SLOVAKIA
Ms Iveta Lazorová - President
Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives
www.sksapa.sk

SLOVENIA
Ms Monika Azman – President & Official Delegate
Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia
www.zbornica-zveza.si

SPAIN
Mr Florentino Perez – President & Official Delegate
Spanish General Council of Nursing
www.consejogeneralenfermeria.org

SWEDEN
Ms Sineva Ribeiro – President & Official Delegate
The Swedish Association of Health Professionals
www.vardforbundet.se

SWITZERLAND
Ms Roswitha Koch - Official Delegate
Association Suisse des Infirmières et Infirmiers (SBK-ASI)
www.sbk-asi.ch

UNITED KINGDOM
Dame Donna Kinnair - Delegate
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
www.rcn.org.uk

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-26-

EFN – European Federation of Nurses Associations

The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN) was established in 1971 and is the
independent voice of the profession. The EFN consists of National Nurses Associations from 35 EU
Member States, working for the benefit of 6 million nurses throughout the European Union and
Europe. The mission of EFN is to strengthen the status and practice of the profession of nursing for

the benefit of the health of the citizens and the interests of nurses in the EU & Europe.

For further information or copies of this report please contact:
The European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN)
Registration Number 476.356.013
Clos du Parnasse 11A, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 512 74 19 Fax: +32 2 512 35 50
Email: [email protected] Website: www.efnweb.eu

EFN Report COVID-19 crisis management at national level - October 2020
-27-