Protecting families: A qualitative study on the implementation of protective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Health protocol compliance among family members can help curb the spread of COVID-19. However, not all families or family members can easily navigate the changes brought about by the pandemic; hence, minimizing virus transmission remains a challenge. AIM: Therefore, observing how families implement health protocols in daily life will reveal the challenges and opportunities, and inform public health policies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study by collecting data through phone interviews from November 2020 to February 2021. Eighteen families with a total of 30 individuals participated in this study. The interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis shows that participants were actively involved in implementing protective measures to prevent transmission among their family members. Five themes emerged from the data, namely fundamental concerns, restraints and constraints, pandemic roles, compromises, and intergenerational attitudes. The themes described the families’ lives during the pandemic, their efforts in protecting family members, and the dynamic within the families related to the implementation of COVID-19 protective measures. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that families could play a key role in both protecting and compromising the health of their family members. Families respond to the health crisis actively, but at times increase the risk to virus exposure because they have to continue going about their daily lives.