Impact of and Adjustment to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case of Sirisat Housing Community, Bangkok

Abstract

The present qualitative descriptive study was carried out to 1) explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents and the elderly residing in Sirisat Housing Community and 2) investigate their adjustment to the pandemic. A total of 8 local residents, 4 of which were adolescents, while the other 4 were seniors, who had resided in the community for over a decade took part in both in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

          It was found that Sirisat Housing Community encompassed 200 residential units, fully occupied at the time of data collection. The majority of the community members identified themselves as either freelancers, vendors, or government officials. As a result of COVID–19, several community members were left jobless. A number of households did not have any other sources of income apart from their regular jobs, resulting in the fact that their expenses exceeded their income. Many were forced to withdraw some of their savings to meet their expenses during the pandemic. With the rise of virtual learning in response to the pandemic, according to the adolescents, some struggled to stay focused and experienced a decline in their academic performance. As far as the elderly were concerned, the sudden shift to online learning created a burden for parents and guardians as they had to take on more responsibility for their children’s education. Besides, with poor housing conditions, such as small rooms and overcrowding, it was impossible for those exposed to COVID-19 on the job and unintentionally brought the virus home with them to stay isolated from other household members in such crowded housing, potentially exposing their families to the virus.