The Impact of the first COVID-19 shelter-in-place announcement on social distancing, difficulty in daily activities, and levels of concern in the San Francisco Bay Area: A cross-sectional social media survey

Abstract

Background The U.S. has experienced an unprecedented number of orders to shelter in place throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to ascertain whether social distancing; difficulty with daily activities; and levels of concern regarding COVID-19 changed after the March 16, 2020 announcement of the nation’s first shelter-in-place orders (SIPO) among individuals living in the seven affected counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Methods We conducted an online, cross-sectional social media survey from March 14 –April 1, 2020. We measured changes in social distancing behavior; experienced difficulties with daily activities (i.e., access to healthcare, childcare, obtaining essential food and medications); and level of concern regarding COVID-19 after the March 16 shelter-in-place announcement in the San Francisco Bay Area versus elsewhere in the U.S. Results In this non-representative sample, the percentage of respondents social distancing all of the time increased following the shelter-in-place announcement in the Bay Area (9.2%, 95% CI: 6.6, 11.9) and elsewhere in the U.S. (3.4%, 95% CI: 2.0, 5.0). Respondents also reported increased difficulty obtaining hand sanitizer, medications, and in particular respondents reported increased difficulty obtaining food in the Bay Area (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.4, 16.3) and elsewhere (8.2%, 95% CI: 6.6, 9.7). We found limited evidence that level of concern regarding the COVID-19 crisis changed following the announcement. Conclusion This study characterizes early changes in attitudes, behaviors, and difficulties. As states and localities implement, rollback, and reinstate shelter-in-place orders, ongoing efforts to more fully examine the social, economic, and health impacts of COVID-19, especially among vulnerable populations, are urgently needed.

“Then COVID happened…”: Veterans’ Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement in Whole Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“… 30 , 31 In addition, most counties served by SFVAHCS (e.g., San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma) implemented restrictions beyond those mandated at the state level, including extended closures of public schools, parks, other public services, and many private businesses. 32 The region experienced two COVID-19 infection surges during the study period (one in early Spring 2020, one in early Winter 2020–2021). Statewide infection rates peaked with a 7 day average of 44 214 new daily cases reported on January 14, 2021.…”

The psychological stress response of COVID-19 to medical staff and prevention: A large sample study from China

“…According to some studies on the impact of the SARS outbreak on social psychology, approximately 20% of people were depressed, and the incidence rate of depression among nurses was 45% ( Maunder et al, 2006 ), which was like the incidence rate of depression in this study. The SARS outbreak’s impact on people is primarily manifested in sleep disorders, which include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and decreased sleep satisfaction ( Elser et al, 2021 ). Compared with this study, during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff suffered psychological fear, neurasthenia and other problems, which also caused different degrees of damage to their sleep quality.…”

The role of trust in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among Black and White Americans

“…Trust variables. Institutional trust was a scale built from five measured items [24] : trust in official government websites, in President Biden, in the CDC, in state, county, or city health departments, and in the WHO as sources to provide accurate COVID-19 information (1 = never, 5 = always, α = 0.89 for Black, α = 0.90 for White). Trust in physicians was measured using a previously established 4-item scale (e.g., “I trust my doctor's opinions about my health”) [25] , with 1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree, (α = 0.89 for Black, α = 0.93 for White).…”