The study investigates the social impact of COVID-19 symptoms among female long-distance transporters

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has infected more than 404 million people worldwide. The disease has physical, mental, social and financial implications for patients.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome The physical and psychological effects of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are not limited until the acute stage of infection, but persist and cause acute sequelae. People who are experiencing these acute sequelae, also known as “long COVID,” “long-term COVID,” or “post-COVID syndrome,” are often referred to as “long howlers.”

The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that females make up 80% of long-haul carriers. This pandemic has caused considerable physical, mental, social and financial distress to women around the world. This is due not only to illness, but also to social isolation during the blockade, extra stress in family care, and volatile income.

the study

Studies posted on Research Square PreprintAnd under consideration BMC Publich Health journal, We analyzed the impact of long-COVID on female long-distance carriers in various aspects of social life.

This qualitative study was conducted in 2021 through an online health promotion intervention program and participants were recruited primarily using social media. The study included women aged 18 years and older who were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and experienced at least one post-COVID syndrome that lasted more than 4 weeks after diagnosis.

Overall, 15 participants met the eligibility criteria and were interviewed online. via Video conference call. The interview addressed questions about the background of COVID-19 infection, the symptoms experienced, the psychosocial impact on participants, and the sources of social support and resilience.

Investigation result

Female long-haul carriers have found that persistent symptoms of long-distance COVID are affecting social life due to physical limitations of long-distance COVID. Changes in their social relationships; financial instability; social stigma associated with infection and conflicts between the various social roles they play.

There were two sides to physical limitation. The effects on the body and mental health. Decreased mobility, inactivity, or frequent doctor visits also affected their minds and affected the recovery process. Participants complained that they were tired of the healing process and resented the use of the spirometer after the infection had healed. The woman also felt that her image of her body had changed, and she confessed that she had a sense of lack of her identity and diminished physical ability.

Economic problems such as employment insecurity and financial difficulties have also hindered the recovery of this population. Participants reported fear of unemployment and invested in looking for a job rather than improving their health. According to them, the work was more stressful than the pandemic itself. In some cases women had to quit their jobs to take care of their families, while in others they had to work part-time or work overtime to support their families. Many complained that it was difficult to get the job done due to physical restrictions, which even caused a salary deduction.

The social relationship impacts reported by participants were categorized into four themes: social isolation, social response to the symptoms of long-distance transporters, changes in communication methods, and reduced social capital. Social isolation due to lower energy levels affected their social relationships, leading to increased stress and anxiety. Many have found it difficult to return to social life due to physical and emotional conflicts. Participants also felt a change in their personality during social interaction. Marital relationships were also affected.

Participants have long faced various reactions-COVID symptoms.. Some people were skeptical of the persistence of their symptoms or were indifferent to them, but others, and even doctors, could not understand their situation. Women felt that only infected people could understand their feelings. Communication methods have changed, and most women have relied on online forums for emotional support.

In addition, differences in beliefs about vaccination options have caused a loss of social capital. Less than half of the participants reported that the choice of vaccination prevention was a major issue ending their relationship. This has led to the withdrawal of social support, resulting in a limited social network.

Conflicts related to social roles reported by participants can be categorized as those related to their work and those related to their families. At work, participants were forced to work overtime, taking the place of infected colleagues, and even conflicting with their employers due to poor performance as a result of fatigue. They also felt “ignored” by their employers. Another problem I faced during the pandemic was wearing a mask at work, especially for those with breathing problems.

At home, female long-distance carriers had to struggle to fulfill their responsibilities of being the main caretaker of the family, despite the long COVID symptoms themselves. Participants also faced social stigma – the results of stigma labels and stigma. All women reported that they were labeled in different ways. For example, carelessness, overly dramatic, danger to others, risk factors, or “The Walking Dead”. Such negative comments instilled fear of being judged and led to self-blame among them. Therefore, these long-haul carriers have restricted their social relationships in order to avoid this stigma and judgment from others.

Conclusion

This study is one of the first attempts to study the effect of COVID-19 on female long-distance transporters. The results showed that COVID-19 affected female long-haul transporters in all dimensions. vis, Physically, mentally, socially and economically. The social role conflicts faced by female long-haul carriers have been found to be primarily the result of the expectations of others, without consideration of recovery or persistent post-COVID symptoms.

This study emphasizes the need for social support and more sophisticated social life-related advice for female long-distance transporters, and further on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social life of other groups, such as the elderly. He emphasized the importance of research. , Immigrants, and people with disabilities.