Perceptions of the Post First-Lockdown Era in the Current Covid-19 Pandemic: Quantitative and Qualitative Survey of the French Population

Abstract

Introduction: A pandemic with the severity of COVID-19 affects people's lives physically, as well as their daily routines, views of the world, and emotional balance. Lockdown is often an unpleasant experience due to a separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, and uncertainty over the disease status. To adjust, individuals and groups have had to adapt their perceptions of the event to the current scenario. This study aims to describe the perceptions of confined people on the changes occurring in their lives in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: A total of 1,534 individuals (26.6% men; 73.4% women; mean age 41.6) responded to the questionnaire comprising 19 closed and five open-ended questions about the changes they anticipated in their lives in the immediate post-confinement era.Results: Two definite groups appeared in the results: those who lived the confinement pleasantly, and those for which it was painful. They differ according to their confinement conditions and perceived degree of exposure to the virus. There seems to be a link for those who had a pleasant experience to a lower perceived exposure to the virus and less burdensome confinement conditions (young children, surface area, etc.). Lockdown conditions seem to influence the respondents' perceptions: a pleasant experience is associated with a vision of the society's evolution at large, and the care about its economic and professional progress; a painful one is associated more with focusing on the immediate needs of social support and personal well-being.Discussion: Emotional experience during lockdown impacts the perception of its aftermath, with hope and anxiety becoming two ways of coping with uncertainty.

You can’t do anything about it, but you can make the best of it: a qualitative analysis of pandemic-related experiences in six European countries

“…when focusing on the change in the society at large) and negative pandemic-related experiences (e.g. when focusing on the immediate needs) in the first year of COVID-19 (Fouques et al, 2021 ).…”

Understanding work experience in epidemic-induced telecommuting: The roles of misfit, reactance, and collaborative technologies

“…Epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic may seriously affect people’s physical health and emotional balance ( Fouques et al, 2021 ). An efficient way of halting viral transmission and controlling the epidemic is to isolate people via a lockdown ( Atalan, 2020 , Fouques et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic may seriously affect people’s physical health and emotional balance ( Fouques et al, 2021 ). An efficient way of halting viral transmission and controlling the epidemic is to isolate people via a lockdown ( Atalan, 2020 , Fouques et al, 2021 ). Lockdown involves different levels of home confinement, travel and mobility restrictions, and closure of public places, academic institutions, and business organizations.…”

“…Lockdown involves different levels of home confinement, travel and mobility restrictions, and closure of public places, academic institutions, and business organizations. Consequently, a lockdown tends to cause large-scale, mandated telecommuting for a prolonged period and is often accompanied by vast changes in work routines ( Fouques et al, 2021 , Jamal et al, 2021 , Venkatesh, 2020 ). Previous studies have mostly examined the impact of a lockdown on people’s physical and mental health ( Atalan, 2020 , Fouques et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Consequently, a lockdown tends to cause large-scale, mandated telecommuting for a prolonged period and is often accompanied by vast changes in work routines ( Fouques et al, 2021 , Jamal et al, 2021 , Venkatesh, 2020 ). Previous studies have mostly examined the impact of a lockdown on people’s physical and mental health ( Atalan, 2020 , Fouques et al, 2021 ). Researchers have also sought to understand the social consequences of a lockdown, including how it shapes the public’s belief, attitudes, and behaviors ( Van Bavel et al, 2020 ).…”