Anthropological-existential conflicts and human suffering in Covid-19 survivors who underwent hospitalization in the ICU at a public hospital in the north of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the anthropological-existential dilemmas and conflicts faced by Covid-19 survivors who were in Intensive Care Units (ICU) in a public hospital in the north of Rio Grande do Sul. This is a qualitative research with patients from a Public Hospital in the North of Rio Grande do Sul, who survived Covid-19 after having gone through the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This fact resulted in human suffering, emergence of awareness of finitude, occurrence of anguish and existential crisis after hospitalization and going through the illness. Six individuals, who attended the pulmonary rehabilitation center of a University in the North of RS, were volunteers in the study. We made interviews to collect the data and used the content analysis. The studies from Barros, Marini e Reali (2022), Becker (2022), D'Assumpção (2011), Franco (2021), Gawande (2015), Gadamer (2006), Santos (2021), Santos (2009), Nuland (1995), among others, gave support to our theoretical framework. The results showed that there was intense human suffering. The participants of the study faced an existential crisis during the evolution of the disease, the helplessness of their families and the fear of death. They expressed that they gave great importance to every little improvement they had. They experienced loneliness and they became more interested in spirituality to keep their hope alive. They also said that they began to see life in a different way and to value more the people who are part of their families. This study showed that we need to increase and expand care to relieve the suffering of people who were affected by Covid-19.