This study aimed to better understand the factors driving reported trends in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the effect of the pandemic on survivors’ experiences of violence and ability to seek support. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 DV service providers operating in organizations across 24 U.S. cities. The majority of providers described a decrease in contact volume when shelter-in-place orders were first established, which they attributed to safety concerns, competing survival priorities, and miscommunication about what resources were available. For most organizations, this decrease was followed by an increase in contacts after the lifting of shelter-in-place orders, often surpassing typical contact counts from the pre-pandemic period. Providers identified survivors’ ability to return to some aspects of their pre-pandemic lives, increased stress levels, and increased lethality of cases as key factors driving this increase. In addition, providers described several unique challenges faced by DV survivors during the pandemic, such as the use of the virus as an additional tool for control by abusers and an exacerbated lack of social support. These findings provide insight into the lived experiences driving observed trends in DV rates during COVID-19. Understanding the impact of the pandemic on survivors can help to shape public health and policy interventions to better support this vulnerable population during future crises.

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were defined by distance and isolation, raising concerns about widespread loneliness. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews with residents of New York City who lived alone during the first wave of the pandemic, this article examines the experience of living alone and dealing with loneliness during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, asking: What are the specific aspects of being or feeling alone that cause distress? Four key themes emerged from the interviews. First, although most interviewees reported experiencing loneliness at some point during the pandemic, they described themselves as being quite socially connected to friends and family. Second, being physically alone was especially distressing. Third, city residents who lived alone struggled with the loss of everyday interactions with neighbors and familiar strangers who had previously provided regular companionship in public gathering places. Fourth, solo dwellers reported that despite the social and emotional challenges of living alone, feeling abandoned or marginalized by society at large – a phenomenon that we refer to as “structural isolation” – was ultimately a greater emotional burden. These findings highlight the importance of social and structural dimensions of loneliness, helping to sharpen our existing sociological conceptualization of loneliness.

Though there has been growing attention to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the career trajectories of current health care workers, research remains sparse on how those in earlier stages of medical education have been affected by the pandemic. To better understand the pandemic's influence on pre-medical students' professional trajectories, this study draws on 48 interviews with freshmen and sophomore pre-medical students at a private university in the northeastern United States. For many students, witnessing physicians' role during the pandemic made them more aware of both the vulnerability of physicians and the limits of their power in the medical field and society at large. Notably, students primarily explained the risks that physicians confronted as an individual professional expectation rather than a structural concern in the medical system. Despite acknowledging these risks, students emphasized that the pandemic had reinforced their interest in becoming a physician by validating their perception of the vital role that physicians play in society. Additionally, they expressed greater concern about meeting expectations for admission to medical school in light of additional barriers due to COVID-19. This study builds upon existing literature on the medical profession by both centering earlier stages of education and examining processes of socialization during times of crisis. More broadly, these findings indicate a need for greater attention to the normalization of health care workers' sacrifices, as well as the potential exacerbation of existing inequities in pre-medical education during the pandemic.

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