“It’s hard for everyone” systemic barriers to home confinement to prevent community spread of COVID-19

Abstract

Rapid identification and isolation/quarantine of COVID-19 cases or close contacts, respectively, is a vital tool to support safe, in-person learning. However, safe isolation or quarantine for a young child also necessitates home confinement for at least one adult caregiver, as well as rapid learning material development by the teacher to minimize learning loss. The purpose of this study is to better understand barriers and supports to student home confinement. We conducted a mixed-methods study using focus group discussions and a self-administered online survey with parents and staff members from 12 elementary schools and childcare sites across San Diego County serving low-income and socially vulnerable families. Focus group participants reported that mental distress and loneliness, learning loss, childcare, food, income loss, and overcrowded housing were major barriers related to home confinement. The experiences described by FGD participants were prevalent in a concurrent community survey: 25% of participants reported that isolation would be extremely difficult for a household member who tested positive or was exposed to COVID-19, and 20% were extremely concerned about learning loss while in isolation or quarantine. Our findings suggest that there are serious structural impediments to safely completing the entire recommended course of isolation or quarantine, and that the potential for isolation or quarantine may also lead to increased hesitancy to access diagnostic testing.

Determinants of parent-reported child mental health status in San Diego public schools during the height of the COVID-19 omicron outbreak: A serial cross-sectional study

“…This is consonant with barriers and hardships faced by other populations during the pandemic [ 20 ], and important in underscoring that parents’ mental health can affect their children’s mental health [ 14 , 21 ]. We have found similar results in other vulnerable populations in the region [ 22 – 25 ]. With the lifting of public health emergency measures in the United States, social safety net programs will become less accessible to these same populations [ 26 ].…”

Access to and utilization of COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) among people living with HIV (PLWH): A mixed methods study from Cambodia

“…Despite the fact that PLWH might be more susceptible to serious complications from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related-HIV-service disruptions [18], and that better understanding the testing access and uptake rates might be key to developing effective testing strategies and improving their overall engagement and wellbeing outcomes, studies addressing access to, utilization of and enablers/barriers to COVID-19 Ag RDT testing are very limited. At the time of writing, only a few related articles considering factors influencing healthcare access during the pandemic [19] and barriers to home isolation as a public health measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 [20] had been published, and these considered different factors than our study. However, there are two studies, from considerably different contexts (England and the USA), which can provide some interesting comparisons.…”

Psychosocial Stressors and Maternal Mental Health in the U.S. During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…This is consistent with previous research that has found stress to be associated with poor mental health (Hammen, 2005 ; Kendler et al, 2000 ; Schneiderman et al, 2005 ). The early phase of the COVID pandemic created a situation of chronic stress for many parents (Omaleki et al, 2022 ). Strategies to reduce individual- and family-level stressors are needed and may be particularly beneficial during the acute phase of public health emergencies (Fong & Iarocci, 2020 ; Omaleki et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The early phase of the COVID pandemic created a situation of chronic stress for many parents (Omaleki et al, 2022 ). Strategies to reduce individual- and family-level stressors are needed and may be particularly beneficial during the acute phase of public health emergencies (Fong & Iarocci, 2020 ; Omaleki et al, 2022 ). Paid family leave, affordable and accessible childcare, and basic universal income should be considered as structural interventions that may reduce stress and improve the health and well-being of families.…”