Is COBRA worth it after a layoff? - any advice?

The COBRA quote for my family is $700 a month and I do not know how to afford it. There are 5 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 6 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.