Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis
<h4>Background and aim</h4> It has been demonstrated that marginalized populations across the U.S. have suffered a disproportionate burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, illustrating the role that social determinants of health play in health outcomes. To better unde...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9162358/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1818549094647332864 |
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| author | Justine Seidenfeld Anna Tupetz Cassandra Fiorino Alexander Limkakeng Lincoln Silva Catherine Staton Joao R. N. Vissoci John Purakal |
| author_facet | Justine Seidenfeld Anna Tupetz Cassandra Fiorino Alexander Limkakeng Lincoln Silva Catherine Staton Joao R. N. Vissoci John Purakal |
| author_sort | Justine Seidenfeld |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background and aim</h4> It has been demonstrated that marginalized populations across the U.S. have suffered a disproportionate burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, illustrating the role that social determinants of health play in health outcomes. To better understand how these vulnerable and high-risk populations have experienced the pandemic, we conducted a qualitative study to better understand their experiences from diagnosis through recovery. <h4>Methods</h4> We conducted a qualitative study of patients in a North Carolina healthcare system’s registry who tested positive for COVID-19 from March 2020 through February 2021, identified from population-dense outbreaks of COVID-19 (hotspots). We conducted semi-structured phone interviews in English or Spanish, based on patient preference, with trained bilingual study personnel. Each interview was evaluated using a combination of deductive and inductive content analysis to determine prevalent themes related to COVID-19 knowledge, diagnosis, disease experience, and long-term impacts. <h4>Findings</h4> The 10 patients interviewed from our COVID-19 hotspot clusters were of equal distribution by sex, predominantly Black (70%), aged 22–70 years (IQR 45–62 years), and more frequently publicly insured (50% Medicaid/Medicare, vs 30% uninsured, vs 20% private insurance). Major themes identified included prior knowledge of COVID-19 and patient perceptions of their personal risk, the testing process in numerous settings, the process of quarantining at home after a positive diagnosis, the experience of receiving medical care during their illness, and difficulties with long-term recovery. <h4>Discussion</h4> Our findings suggest areas for targeted interventions to reduce COVID-19 transmission in these high-risk communities, as well as improve the patient experience throughout the COVID-19 illness course. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:28:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d71d6ed5acf8490babfc0bc681693388 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:28:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-d71d6ed5acf8490babfc0bc6816933882022-12-22T00:31:09ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01176Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysisJustine SeidenfeldAnna TupetzCassandra FiorinoAlexander LimkakengLincoln SilvaCatherine StatonJoao R. N. VissociJohn Purakal<h4>Background and aim</h4> It has been demonstrated that marginalized populations across the U.S. have suffered a disproportionate burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, illustrating the role that social determinants of health play in health outcomes. To better understand how these vulnerable and high-risk populations have experienced the pandemic, we conducted a qualitative study to better understand their experiences from diagnosis through recovery. <h4>Methods</h4> We conducted a qualitative study of patients in a North Carolina healthcare system’s registry who tested positive for COVID-19 from March 2020 through February 2021, identified from population-dense outbreaks of COVID-19 (hotspots). We conducted semi-structured phone interviews in English or Spanish, based on patient preference, with trained bilingual study personnel. Each interview was evaluated using a combination of deductive and inductive content analysis to determine prevalent themes related to COVID-19 knowledge, diagnosis, disease experience, and long-term impacts. <h4>Findings</h4> The 10 patients interviewed from our COVID-19 hotspot clusters were of equal distribution by sex, predominantly Black (70%), aged 22–70 years (IQR 45–62 years), and more frequently publicly insured (50% Medicaid/Medicare, vs 30% uninsured, vs 20% private insurance). Major themes identified included prior knowledge of COVID-19 and patient perceptions of their personal risk, the testing process in numerous settings, the process of quarantining at home after a positive diagnosis, the experience of receiving medical care during their illness, and difficulties with long-term recovery. <h4>Discussion</h4> Our findings suggest areas for targeted interventions to reduce COVID-19 transmission in these high-risk communities, as well as improve the patient experience throughout the COVID-19 illness course.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9162358/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Justine Seidenfeld Anna Tupetz Cassandra Fiorino Alexander Limkakeng Lincoln Silva Catherine Staton Joao R. N. Vissoci John Purakal Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis PLoS ONE |
| title | Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis |
| title_full | Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis |
| title_fullStr | Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis |
| title_short | Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis |
| title_sort | experiences of covid 19 infection in north carolina a qualitative analysis |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9162358/?tool=EBI |
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