The Impact of Policy and COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in China: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Ongoing infection-control strategies have played an important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its effects. However, limited studies have explored the influence of these strategies from the perspective of COVID-19 patients. This study aims to describe the impact of governmental COVID-19 policy and prevention strategies on COVID-19 patients in China.Methods: Twenty-six people who had been treated for COVID-19 in a COVID-19-designated facility in Shanghai, China, were recruited using the purposive sampling method. These individuals participated in semi-structured interviews by phone from April to June 2020. A thematic content analysis approach was conducted. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies checklist was applied. Results: Three categories of themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The first was "Consciously adhere to COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." Most of these patients followed the COVID-19 strategies throughout the stages of their illness. The second category was "Positive experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients shared their positive experiences of the governmental infection-control strategies to contain the virus; for example, they experienced a quick and adequate medical response, they were confident in the medical system, or they received help from community workers. The third category was "Negative experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients experienced psychological distress, stigma, privacy exposures, and inconveniences from the governmental strategies.Conclusions: Our findings exemplify how patients with COVID-19 adhered to the infection-control strategies in China. It is urgent to develop a culturally sensitive intervention to eliminate the psychological distress and stigma of patients with COVID-19 and to protect their privacy during and after the pandemic.

Observation of covid-19 safety protocols by persons with chronic health conditions in Ghana: The influence of health belief model

“…The study examined how perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers, benefit, and self-efficacy, which are constructs of the health belief model, influence persons with chronic health conditions to adhere to covid-19 preventive protocols. Mask-wearing, social distancing, regular hand washing, and the use of hand sanitizers were some popular covid-19 preventive protocols outlined by the World Health Organization and other organizations to help prevent the spread of the covid-19 pandemic ( Huang et al, 2021 ).…”