Exposure to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Qualitative Study on Adult People's Experiences

Abstract

One of the global crises that people are dealing with today is the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of this disease as a social phenomenon has affected all aspects of life. This study aimed to identify adult people's experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. This qualitative research was performed with a conventional qualitative content analysis approach in Mashhad, Iran, from April to November 2020. twenty-five participants were selected through a purposeful sampling method with maximum diversity until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with open-end questions and analyzed with MAXQDA10 software. Two main categories were extracted (1) difficulties in multiple domains (psychological and informational problems, social challenges, spiritual and religious challenges, and economic problems), (2) adaptation to the epidemic (purposive self-care, ignoring the disease and health instructions, faith in God and optimism). The participants faced extensive challenges, which were made worse by the confusion and ambiguity about the information, quarantine, and social isolation. To continue living, the participants tried to adapt to situations. These results provide a guiding framework for policymaking and intervention.