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Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Seidenfeld, J; Tupetz, A; Fiorino, C; Limkakeng, A; Silva, L; Staton, C; Vissoci, JRN; Purakal, J
Published in: PLoS One
2022

BACKGROUND AND AIM: 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. METHODS: 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. FINDINGS: 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. DISCUSSION: 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.

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Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2022

Volume

17

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e0269338

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Qualitative Research
  • North Carolina
  • Medicare
  • Medically Uninsured
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • COVID-19
  • Aged
 

Citation

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Seidenfeld, J., Tupetz, A., Fiorino, C., Limkakeng, A., Silva, L., Staton, C., … Purakal, J. (2022). Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis. PLoS One, 17(6), e0269338. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269338
Seidenfeld, Justine, Anna Tupetz, Cassandra Fiorino, Alexander Limkakeng, Lincoln Silva, Catherine Staton, Joao R. N. Vissoci, and John Purakal. “Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis.PLoS One 17, no. 6 (2022): e0269338. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269338.
Seidenfeld J, Tupetz A, Fiorino C, Limkakeng A, Silva L, Staton C, et al. Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis. PLoS One. 2022;17(6):e0269338.
Seidenfeld, Justine, et al. “Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis.PLoS One, vol. 17, no. 6, 2022, p. e0269338. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0269338.
Seidenfeld J, Tupetz A, Fiorino C, Limkakeng A, Silva L, Staton C, Vissoci JRN, Purakal J. Experiences of COVID-19 infection in North Carolina: A qualitative analysis. PLoS One. 2022;17(6):e0269338.

Published In

PLoS One

DOI

EISSN

1932-6203

Publication Date

2022

Volume

17

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e0269338

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Qualitative Research
  • North Carolina
  • Medicare
  • Medically Uninsured
  • Humans
  • General Science & Technology
  • COVID-19
  • Aged