JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a global crisis, driving unprecedented infection and mortality rates while disrupting social, cultural, and emotional well-being worldwide. In the Wolaita Zone of Southern Ethiopia, a region defined by rich cultural and religious traditions, these disruptions have been particularly profound yet understudied. This research addresses this gap by exploring the lived experiences of COVID-19 survivors and bereaved families, focusing on the unbearable loss expressed locally as “Gondooro”, and the resilience that emerged amid the crisis.

Objective:

This research was aimed explore the lived experiences and resilience among of COVID-19 survivors and bereaved families in Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia.

Methods:

Phenomenological study design was employed to capture the subjective experiences of seventeen participants: twelve COVID-19 survivors, two bereaved family members, and three individuals who were both. Participants were purposively selected via chain referral snowball sampling to ensure diverse, in-depth perspectives. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, guided by a tailored instrument, with rigorous measures to uphold the trustworthiness. Thematic analysis, facilitated by Dedoose software (v.10.0.35), involved data familiarization, coding, theme generation, and interpretation to uncover meaningful patterns.

Results:

Five major themes emerged: (1) Awareness and adaptive practices, revealing skepticism, supernatural attributions, practices for precautions, symptom experience and conspiracy beliefs; (2) Testing and isolation experiences, detailing testing and result acceptance, quarantine struggles marked by fear, isolation, and stigma; (3) Multifaceted impact of COVID-19, encompassing social, health, psychological, economic, religious, and cultural losses, notably the disruption of traditional burial rites; (4) Community Resilience and coping strategies, highlighting cooperation and support, remedies used and community adaptability, and (5)lessons for future preparedness. The term “Gondooro” crystallized the unbearable grief tied to unperformed mourning rituals, amplifying cultural stigma and emotional suffering, while resilience shone through adaptive practices and calls for improved support systems.

Conclusions:

This study emphasizes the deep intersection of culture, religion, health, and the social implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rural community. It highlights the emotional and social barriers to recovery that are shaped by cultural beliefs and stigma, particularly in the context of mourning and loss. The findings suggest that addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive and culturally sensitive approach, including public health education, psychological support, and efforts to reduce stigma.