One Word to Describe My Experience as a COVID-19 Survivor Six Months after Its Onset: Findings of a Qualitative Study

Alvisa Palese, Maddalena Peghin, Valentina Bressan, Margherita Venturini, Valentina Gerussi, Giulia Bontempo, Elena Graziano, Erica Visintini and Carlo Tascini
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Alvisa Palese: Department of Medical Science, University of Udine, Viale Ungheria, 20-33010 Udine, Italy
Maddalena Peghin: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, University of Udine and Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15-33100 Udine, Italy
Valentina Bressan: Department of Medical Science, University of Udine, Viale Ungheria, 20-33010 Udine, Italy
Margherita Venturini: Department of Medical Science, University of Udine, Viale Ungheria, 20-33010 Udine, Italy
Valentina Gerussi: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, University of Udine and Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15-33100 Udine, Italy
Giulia Bontempo: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, University of Udine and Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15-33100 Udine, Italy
Elena Graziano: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, University of Udine and Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15-33100 Udine, Italy
Erica Visintini: Department of Medical Science, University of Udine, Viale Ungheria, 20-33010 Udine, Italy
Carlo Tascini: Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, University of Udine and Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Piazzale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 15-33100 Udine, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic emotionally affected the lives of patients cared for in different settings. However, a comprehensive view of the whole experience as lived by survived patients, from the onset of the disease and over time, is substantially unknown to date. A descriptive qualitative design was implemented according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. Adult patients (=1067) cared for during the first wave (March/April 2020) capable of answering an interview and willing to participate were interviewed (=397) by phone with an interview guide including open- and closed-ended questions. In this context, they were asked to summarise with a metaphor their entire COVID-19 experience at six months. Then, the emotional orientation (positive, neutral, or negative) of the metaphors expressed was identified. The participants were mainly female (206; 51.9%), with an average age of 52.6 years (CI 95% 50.4–53.6), reporting a mild severity of COVID-19 disease at the onset (261; 65.7%) and the perception of being completely healed (294; 70%) at six months. The patients summarised their experiences mainly using negative-oriented (248; 62.5%) metaphors; only 54 (13.6%) reported positive-oriented metaphors and a quarter (95; 23.95) neutral-oriented metaphors. Nearly all positive-oriented metaphors were reported by patients with symptoms at the onset (53; 98.1%), a significantly higher proportion compared to those reporting negative- (219; 88.3%) and neutral–oriented (78; 82.1%) metaphors ( p = 0.014). While no other clinical features of the disease were associated, among females, significantly more negative-oriented metaphors emerged. Moreover, neutral-oriented metaphors were reported by younger patients (49.5 years, CI 95% 64.11–52.92) as compared to those negative and positive that were reported by more mature patients (53.9; CI 95% 52.04–55.93 and 54.8; CI 95% 50.53–59.24, respectively) ( p = 0.044). Nurses and healthcare services require data to predict the long-term needs of patients. Our findings suggest that, for many patients, the COVID-19 lived experience was negative over time.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus Disease 19; follow-up; lived experience; qualitative study; metaphors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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