The Impact of Policy and COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in China: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Ongoing infection-control strategies have played an important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its effects. However, limited studies have explored the influence of these strategies from the perspective of COVID-19 patients. This study aims to describe the impact of governmental COVID-19 policy and prevention strategies on COVID-19 patients in China. METHODS: Twenty-six people who had been treated for COVID-19 in a COVID-19-designated facility in Shanghai, China, were recruited using the purposive sampling method. These individuals participated in semi-structured interviews by phone from April to June 2020. A thematic content analysis approach was conducted. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies checklist was applied. RESULTS: Three categories of themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The first was "Consciously adhere to COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." Most of these patients followed the COVID-19 strategies throughout the stages of their illness. The second category was "Positive experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients shared their positive experiences of the governmental infection-control strategies to contain the virus;for example, they experienced a quick and adequate medical response, they were confident in the medical system, or they received help from community workers. The third category was "Negative experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients experienced psychological distress, stigma, privacy exposures, and inconveniences from the governmental strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings exemplify how patients with COVID-19 adhered to the infection-control strategies in China. It is urgent to develop a culturally sensitive intervention to eliminate the psychological distress and stigma of patients with COVID-19 and to protect their privacy during and after the pandemic.