Lived Experiences of COVID-19 Recovered Patients

COVID-19 not only affects individuals physically but also impacts their lives in various psychological, social, and economic aspects. This study aimed to identify the lived experiences of individuals who recovered from COVID-19 while being hospitalized, using a qualitative phenomenological approach.

This study was conducted using a qualitative method and with a phenomenological strategy in people who recovered from the disease of COVID-19, who had a history of hospitalization in the corona department of Peymaniyeh hospital in Jahrom city between March 2021 and May 2021. The participants were selected through convenience sampling and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured, interviews with 19 individuals (11 men and 8 women) who had recovered from COVID-19 after being discharged from the hospital. The study's accuracy was confirmed using the Guba and Lincoln method.

The participants' age range was 27 to 73 years, and 68.43% had a history of being hospitalized in the ICU or isolation ward. From the data analysis, ten main themes were extracted, including "anxiety due to the severity of symptoms," "role disruption," "thoughts related to death," "various disease complications," "denial of illness," "quarantine effects," "social isolation," "reduced presence in society," "self-medication and dilemma of vaccine use," and "not using the vaccine".

This study highlights the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of patients' life, including psychological, social, family, and occupational challenges. The identified topics can contribute to the development of counseling and support services to help individuals cope with these challenges and improve the overall quality of life of COVID-19 patients and their families.