Throughout the COVID quarantine, while many Americans remain isolated in their own homes, others are creating ‘pandemic pods’ or ‘social bubbles’ together with additional households or individuals. As more of us begin to think about expanding our social safety zones, I’ve become curious about who Americans include in their bubbles and how these bubbles fit into broader social and political landscapes. Being a sociologist, I decided to see if I could find out more.

Over a two-week period in late May to early June 2020, I distributed via social media an online survey aimed at getting a quick sense of how and why Americans form social bubbles. I received 247 responses. Responses came in from all age cohorts and two dozen states (the largest numbers identified as living in New York or Massachusetts where my own networks are the strongest). More women than men responded to the survey.

Seventy-nine respondents – that is, approximately one third of those who responded – answered that they joined together with another household during the COVID lockdown. For the most part, these household groupings or bubbles consist of neighbors, oftentimes neighbors living in the same building, or parents and adult children. Women were more likely than men to form bubbles, which is consistent with broader patterns of gendered social and kinship patterns in America.

CARE AND SUPPORT

The survey asked respondents why they formed bubbles with particular households. In addition to logistical considerations of sharing the same standards of COVID hygiene, the most frequent explanations had to do with stepping in to help another household or individual during the quarantine.

The need for childcare was cited in a number of responses. For example, an older Illinois woman combined households with her adult daughter’s household because her daughter and son-in-law, “had jobs where they had to keep working and no daycare!” Similarly, Connecticut grandparents explained that their son’s family, “desperately needed babysitting and we wanted to spend time with [our] grandchild.” And an Illinois woman expanded her bubble to include both, “babysitting and looking after elderly neighbors [in same apartment building].”

Several respondents expanded their bubbles in order to provide practical assistance. A middle-aged Massachusetts man and his family took in an old friend who “had nowhere to go.”Across the country, a married California woman joined with a friend. “[He is a] single divorce; [We] wanted to keep him fed.”

Many respondents identified mutual needs for social interaction and sharing the load. A single Colorado woman wrote about moving in with her elderly parents during COVID: “I did not want to live alone during this time; plus, I have a small (under 600 square feet) studio apartment. It is also less expensive to cook as a group than by myself and also easier since I could not go out very much.” And a married Massachusetts man who joined households with a friend wrote, “[I] wanted social contact. [My] friend was living alone and lonely, all of us practicing safe social distancing and minimal outside interactions otherwise.”

Mental Health

So this remedial procedure and activity can easily defeat impotency purchase cheap levitra you can try these out due to the efficient actions. A recent survey buy levitra djpaulkom.tv has shown- most of relationship problems occur due to existingmale sensual dysfunctions. It has been proven by sexologists that men viagra buy in usa djpaulkom.tv who are depressed cannot enjoy sex, as enjoyment of sex lies in emotions, thinking, and feelings. There cialis free sample check out for more now are so many disorders these days which are affecting a number of men and women.

Mental health came up frequently in the responses. A young Seattle woman included in her bubble, “My boyfriend’s best friend. Their household was also totally isolated. He is bipolar and was clearly struggling at home with the situation.  We wanted him to be able to socialize and [help him] take care of himself.” Similarly, a Massachusetts woman included her sister: “[My] sister lives alone. [She] has multiple psychological and physical disabilities. [She] is able to function, including hold a full-time job, with support of care-givers, therapists, medication, and me (as a life coach basically). Working from home has been a huge burden and stress. Needs my help.” And a Massachusetts woman formed a bubble with a friend’s household because, “They have a child with a disability that makes it hard socially/emotionally to not have outside support.”

Mental health concerns sometimes had more to do with mutual support than one-way assistance with managing illness. A Texas woman commented about joining households with her mother’s and sister’s households, “To provide mutual psychological support, since my mom and I each live alone, and especially since I struggle with mental health. We all agreed to only see each other, plus occasional errands.” And a Massachusetts woman united with her next-door neighbor: “Both households are being responsible in practicing physical distancing and checking in about any contacts. The benefits with respect to mental health (especially for the children) are so great that it’s worth the small amount of extra risk.”

WHY THIS MATTERS

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned during the COVID era, it’s that health and illness are communal challenges. ICU doctors and nurses are doing heroic work saving lives of individuals, and scientists likely will figure out more effective treatments. But the keys to America surviving the pandemic, as Dr. Fauci and others remind us, are public health measures that reduce the rates of infection through collective responsibility.

As we move into the next stages of the pandemic, we are likely to see more social bubbles forming to manage childcare, eldercare, financial limitations, mental health challenges, physical disabilities, loneliness and isolation. Reflecting these realities, we need policies that recognize our needs and facilitate novel arrangements to address them. For example, can the federal government include compensation for caregivers in the next stimulus bill? Can states extend paid leave for family caregivers (extending both the amount of time and notions of who “counts” as family)? Can federal, state and local governments compensate employers for supporting parents and other caregivers who take time off to care for children or people living with disabilities, especially now when schools and many day and residential programs are not fully open?

Sharing Risks: The Case for Universal Healthcare Coverage

And finally, I ask (again): As Americans are sharing risks and helping one another during a public health crisis, will our national leaders acknowledge the absurdity of privatized and fragmented health care coverage? How can we, in good conscience, praise those who help out neighbors and friends during the pandemic, yet treat each individual or nuclear family as a free-standing unit in terms of health care coverage? Can we really expect neighbors to share risks of disease but not access to health care?

The kinds of bubbles described in the survey serve important emotional and practical needs. Health care policy must promote rather than impede our caring relationships. An election is coming up. Americans — in our diverse bubbles — deserve comprehensive, universal, single-payer health care.

I want to thank Asher Sered and Ellen Golub for helping with crafting the survey, talking through the findings, and encouraging me in writing this post. I also want to thank the many friends and colleagues who shared the survey via their networks.