Time to Lift up COVID-19 Restrictions? Public Support towards Living with the Virus Policy and Associated Factors among Hong Kong General Public

Abstract

The fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented toll on Hong Kong. As more countries are starting to lift COVID-19 restrictions, it would be important to understand the public attitudes towards lifting COVID-19 restrictions and to identify its associated factors. The present study examined the level of support towards the living with the virus (LWV) policy for COVID-19 among the public in Hong Kong and to identify the associations between resilient coping, self-efficacy and emotional distress with support towards the LWV policy. A random population-based telephone survey was conducted among 500 Hong Kong Chinese adults from 7 March to 19 April 2022, i.e., during the fifth wave of COVID-19 outbreak. Of the respondents, 39.6% showed a supportive attitude towards the LWV policy. Results from the structural equational modeling showed a positive correlation between resilient coping and self-efficacy. Resilient coping was associated with support towards the LWV policy directly and indirectly through a lower level of emotional distress. Self-efficacy had a direct association with support towards the LWV policy but its indirect association through emotional distress was not significant. Interventions that foster resilient coping and self-efficacy would be effective in reducing public emotional distress and promoting their positive view towards the LWV policy.

Level and factors of support for the Living with the Virus policy in a Chinese adult general population: a mediation analysis via positive and negative attitudes toward the policy

“…In contrast, there were worries about potential surges of infections/ deaths and the emergence of highly infectious and severe variants (3). Such positive and negative perceptions might jointly determine the general public's support for the policy, as previous literature reported that positive and negative outcome expectancies of a COVID-19related health policy (e.g., COVID-19 vaccination and social distancing) were associated with the support for the policy (9,20,21). Other perceptions might also count.…”

“…Accordingly, the public’s perceptions of the LWV policy might be associated with their attitude towards the LWV policy and the subsequent policy compliance. However, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated perceptions specific to the LWV policy; our literature search located only two studies that investigated the general emotional and cognitive factors of the public’s support for the LWV policy, including self-efficacy, resilient coping, emotional distress, and illness perceptions of COVID-19 ( 22 , 23 ).…”

“…Numerous behavioral change theories (e.g., Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behaviors, and Protection Motivation Theory) highlight the importance of perceptions in determining the attitude towards and compliance with health policies (17)(18)(19). Empirically and specifically, the literature has documented that those favorable perceptions related to COVID-19 policies and control measures (e.g., perceived efficacy of social distancing and COVID-19 vaccination) were positively associated with the support for these policies and the adoption of related measures (9,20,21). Accordingly, the public's perceptions of the LWV policy might be associated with their attitude towards the LWV policy and the subsequent policy compliance.…”

Reflections on the dynamic zero-COVID policy in China

“…The enhanced transmissibility of the Omicron variant significantly increased the number of infected individuals, which led the general public to think that complete elimination was no longer possible. Hence, the usefulness and sustainability of the dynamic zero-COVID policy has been questioned ( Mo et al, 2023 ). Moreover, the attenuated replication of the Omicron variant in lung cells results in less severe clinical pneumonia compared with prior SARS-CoV-2 variants ( McMahan et al, 2022 ).…”

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifting on the health of the elderly :evidence from a quasi- experiment

“…The lifting of restrictions has enabled the elderly to resume physical activities, essential for maintaining muscle strength, cardiovascular health, and overall physical capability. Studies show a positive trend in physical activity levels, bene cially impacting the health of the elderly [14] [15]. Regular health check-ups, chronic disease management, and rehabilitation services have become more accessible, contributing to improved health outcomes [16] [17].…”