experiences of COVD-19 patients after recovery
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, million individuals have been infected with the disease and an immense pressure has been experienced by health systems in the world [1]. The prevalence of this disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), has been increasing and it will be the third cause of death by 2030 [2,4]. Therefore, it is a public health urgent concern at international level.
As studies have shown, recovered COVID-19 patients have to deal with a wide range of symptoms and side-effects after being treated [4]. Infected or suspect patients with COVID-19 demonstrate physical symptoms like fever, hypoxia, coughing, short breath, and loss of muscles. Add to these symptoms the fear about the outcomes of the infection with a new and deathly virus. They also experience boredom, loneliness, and anger during the isolation. Corticosteroids that are prescribed to the patients also create side-effects like insomnia that leads to anxiety and psychological distress [4]. Therefore, these problems can decrease the quality of life in these patients compared to other patients at hospital [5].
Patients recovered from COVID-19 have to deal with psychological problems and several stressors due to isolation from family members and friends, limited social interactions, negative effects of isolation, and limited access to mental health services. These factors affect these patients’ lives. Studies have shown that 31% of the recovered patients had excessive stress, 22.2% had anxiety, and 38.1% had depression during recovery [6]. Therefore, one part of the health responses in COVID-19 patients can be due to anxiety, feeling guilt, panic attacks, worries, and mental symptoms [6]. In addition, recovered COVID-19 patients suffer the concerns about a highly contagious disease in the society and family, isolation, and stigmatization in family and friend circles [4, 7].
Some patients even experience isolation at work and society due to stigmatization [8, 9]. Studies have been mostly on epidemiology and clinical signs in patients [10], genomic specifications of the virus [11, 12], and challenges to global health [13]. Recovered COVID-19 patients have to deal with several stressors due to the treatment side-effects and isolation consequences, of which not enough information is available. One of the methods that can be used to understand phenomena and the depth of patients’ problems and give us a framework for research-based interventions is qualitative method. Since what is experienced by recovered COVID-19 patients is a unique one, this method can be used to have a deeper understanding of these patients in social texture. A deeper study into individuals’ experiences is more compatible with naturalistic pattern and qualitative research [14]. On the other hand, one of the methods that helps nurses understand patients’ clinical condition and design more useful interventions is to use theory in research work [15]. One of the models to realize the needs and changes after recovery from a disease is Newman’s systemic model that examines patients from a systemic viewpoint [16].