Too stringent or too Lenient: Antecedents and consequences of perceived stringency of COVID-19 policies in the United States.

In the United States, federal and local governments have attempted to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by implementing a variety of policies such as stay-at-home orders and mask mandates. Perceptions can influence behaviors; therefore, it is important to understand how people perceive the stringency of COVID-19 policies, what factors shape perceived policy stringency, and whether and how policy perceptions impact the practice of prevention behaviors. With rolling-cross sectional survey data collected in the US from June to October 2020 and other external sources of data, the study examines the impact of objective risk of the pandemic, information seeking, and political ideology at the individual and the state levels on perceived policy stringency, and the impact of perceived policy stringency on prevention behaviors such as mask wearing and social distancing. The findings reveal that objective risk and political ideology are significantly associated with perceived policy stringency. The perceived policy stringency has negative associations with prevention behaviors. The findings provide important implications for the development process of compulsory public health policies during the pandemic.

Deaf in one ear: Communication and social challenges of patients with single-sided deafness post-diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the communication and social challenges that individuals with SSD face post diagnosis. METHODS: Fifty-two single-sided deaf patients from all over the world participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Patients with single sided deafness identified challenges including: increased reliance on family members, decreased sense of autonomy, communication quality changes with family members, information discrepancy across family members and various emotional responses, conflicting information from interactions with multiple medical professionals, and lack of knowledge regarding what to anticipate post diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into patients' perspectives around single-sided deafness and its challenges, and the various health care approaches (e.g., patient- and family-centered care, third party disability, patient navigation) that could be implemented post diagnosis to decrease negative experiences and outcomes associated with SSD. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study has practical implications for improving our understanding of what single-sided deaf patients need and for health professionals to offer better care to current and future populations impacted by single-sided deafness.