  Healthcare workers are more likely to be infected with the 2019 novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) because of unavoidable contact with infected people.
Although they are equipped to reduce the likelihood of infection, their
distress has increased. This study examines how COVID-19 influences healthcare
workers' happiness, compared to other workers. We constructed panel data via
Internet surveys during the COVID-19 epidemic in Japan, from March to June
2020, by surveying the same respondents at different times. The survey period
started before the state of emergency, and ended after deregulation. The key
findings are as follows. (1) Overall, the happiness level of healthcare workers
is lower than that of other workers. (2) The biggest disparity in happiness
level, between healthcare workers and others, was observed after deregulation
and not during the state of emergency. After deregulation, the difference was
larger by 0.26 points, on an 11-point scale, than in the initial wave before
the state of emergency.
