COPING MECHANISMS ADOPTED BY PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN ZIMBABWE

Abstract

In response to the outbreak of COVID 19 cases in Zimbabwe, the government declared a twenty-one-day lockdown beginning the 30th of March 2020. This study sought to analyse the coping mechanisms that people adopted to survive the lockdown. Specifically, the study explored the social, psychological, religious and physical coping mechanisms adopted by Zimbabweans. A qualitative approach was taken in doing this study, specifically making use of the document analysis design. Data was then collected from a social media platform which is WhatsApp. Forty WhatsApp messages and status updates were analyzed in this research. The lockdown presented challenges and opportunities; some people were struggling to cope yet some saw this as an opportunity to do things that they had no time for. The study revealed that people resorted to WhatsApp groups to connect with workmates, friends, schoolmates and relatives. Most Zimbabweans resorted to indoor games with their family members, exercise, listening to music and gardening. With the restricted movement imposed as a result of lockdown, people had to engage in prayer and other religious activities in their homes. Students found the lockdown as a good opportunity to engage in research and also made use of platforms such as the Google Classroom to continue learning. The study recommends that Zimbabweans should follow government regulations in order to curb the spread of COVID 19 and similar pandemics in the future.

Keywords

• lockdown
• coping
• psychological
• social
• covid-19
• zimbabwe