Self-defense behaviors and Effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on infected patients’ families at Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide. A mixed-method study was performed to evaluate knowledge and protective behaviors of people in Pra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakarn Province from COVID-19 infection, and to conduct a comprehensive study on the negative effects of the disease based on 4 dimensional aspects: physical health, mentality, economy, and society. A total of 44 families, 88 individuals, who were infected and later cured from COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 16 April 2021 at Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakarn Province, participated and underwent an in-depth interview for this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The quantitative results were presented as percentages, mean and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, while the qualitative results were described using content analyses. The study shows that 95.5% of the participants can be classified as having excellent knowledge of COVID-19. For the levels of protective behaviors from COVID-19 infection, 69.3% of the participants are in a good level and only 17.1% in excellent level. However, the fact that the patients still have an infection might be due to some behaviors that do not sufficiently follow the preventive protocols. Interesting points about the impact of COVID-19 on 4 dimensional aspects are that 1) Physical : the change in a healthcare service in a hospital negatively impacts patients with other diseases, 2) Mentality anxiety of being infected with COVID-19 leads to stress and mental health issues, 3) Economy : an economic slowdown due to COVID-19 causes loss of jobs and income, and 4) Society : the lockdown policy implemented by the government limits social interactions, and both directly and indirectly impacts a way of life. These problems in all 4 aspects are intertwined with one another, and hence need to be addressed at the same time in a coherent way in order to efficiently prevent further spreading of COVID-19.