The Role of Egyptian Family in Confronting COVID-19 (Field Study of Some Recovered Patients)

Abstract

The research topic emerged in an attempt to observe the role of Egyptian family in confronting COVID-19 pandemic. Through revealing the health habits and behaviors in confronting this virus, and identifying its concept, sources of knowledge (traditional and modern sources). The study also identified causes of infection with study cases, its symptoms and repercussions resulting from infection, family role towards the infected member, and reveal the impact of gender, age, and social class dimensions in confronting COVID-19. The study depended upon socialization theory and social role theory. The anthropological approach and its tools, which is observation, thorough interview, and fieldwork guide was used to collect data. A purposive sample of 30 COVID-19 recovered individuals was selected, considering the diversity in gender, age, education, social class, and rural-urban divide. The most important finding of the study was the family role towards the infected member, whether it be a positive or negative role, support and cooperation, or withdrawal and neglect. The family was not the main source of knowledge about COVID-19. Social media was the best and fastest source, followed by specialists, either from relatives or through the media. Initially, the majority of thoughts about the virus were contradictory, which led to anxiety in majority of the study cases. The family acted a crucial role in providing health and psychological support. The causes of infection and its repercussions varied. The family acted a role towards the infected member, either by following healthy behaviors or by confusion due to ignorance and poverty.