"It's hard for everyone" systemic barriers to home confinement to prevent community spread of COVID-19

"It's hard for everyone" systemic barriers to home confinement to prevent community spread of COVID-19

Rapid identification and isolation/quarantine of COVID-19 cases or close contacts, respectively, is a vital tool to support safe, in-person learning. However, safe isolation or quarantine for a young child also necessitates home confinement for at least one adult caregiver, as well as rapid learning...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Translational behavioral medicine Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 64 - 72
Main Authors: Omaleki, Vinton, Vo, Anh V, Flores, Marlene, Majnoonian, Araz, Le, Tina, Nguyen, Megan, Duong, Dawn, Hassani, Ashkan, Wijaya, Fitri C, Gonzalez-Zuniga, Patricia E, Gaines, Tommi, Garfein, Richard S, Fielding-Miller, Rebecca
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Oxford University Press 28-02-2023
Subjects:
Adult
Child
Control
COVID-19 - prevention & control
Demographic aspects
Distribution
Educational aspects
Epidemics
Evaluation
Humans
Isolation (Hospital care)
Mental Disorders
Poverty
Quarantine
Schools
United States
United States
COVID-19
Quarantine
Isolation
SARS-CoV-2
Home confinement
School health
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Summary:Rapid identification and isolation/quarantine of COVID-19 cases or close contacts, respectively, is a vital tool to support safe, in-person learning. However, safe isolation or quarantine for a young child also necessitates home confinement for at least one adult caregiver, as well as rapid learning material development by the teacher to minimize learning loss. The purpose of this study is to better understand barriers and supports to student home confinement. We conducted a mixed-methods study using focus group discussions and a self-administered online survey with parents and staff members from 12 elementary schools and childcare sites across San Diego County serving low-income and socially vulnerable families. Focus group participants reported that mental distress and loneliness, learning loss, childcare, food, income loss, and overcrowded housing were major barriers related to home confinement. The experiences described by FGD participants were prevalent in a concurrent community survey: 25% of participants reported that isolation would be extremely difficult for a household member who tested positive or was exposed to COVID-19, and 20% were extremely concerned about learning loss while in isolation or quarantine. Our findings suggest that there are serious structural impediments to safely completing the entire recommended course of isolation or quarantine, and that the potential for isolation or quarantine may also lead to increased hesitancy to access diagnostic testing.
ISSN:1869-6716
1613-9860
DOI:10.1093/tbm/ibac074