Background The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, leading to increased stress levels among healthcare workers. This study examines the impact of adopting WHO safety protocols on healthcare workers' stress levels during the pandemic. Objective To assess the efficacy of implementing WHO protocols as a strategy to manage stress among healthcare workers in hospitals and dental facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two Lahore institutions. After obtaining ethical approval from the Virtual University Pakistan's Ethical Review Board, 102 participants were approached from Pakistan Air Force and Combined Military Hospitals. Participants provided verbal informed consent and completed a self-administered questionnaire provided by the principal investigator. The study assessed stress management using modified WHO criteria. Data was collected from January 1 to January 31, 2021, with analysis performed using SPSS version 21. Results The study found that 52.9% of participants were aged 31-45, mostly females (55.9%), and 92.2% were Muslims. Of the participants, 20.6% were married, 98% were in health-related professions, and 74.5% worked in crowded environments. Statistically significant associations were found between different age groups and pre-pandemic stress levels (p-value=0.002). Various occupational categories showed significant associations with awareness of required SOPS (p<0.005), belief in SOPS' stress-reducing effect (p<0.005), and their effectiveness (p=0.042). Crowd-related places also displayed significant associations with pre-pandemic stress (p=0.001), increased pandemic-induced pressure (p=0.001), stress impact on work (p=0.005), viewing SOPS as stress management (p=0.001), and their effectiveness (p=0.042). Conclusion Implementing WHO stress management criteria effectively reduced stress among healthcare workers during the pandemic.

The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, leading to increased stress levels among healthcare workers.