Anxiety relating to the news

Being one of the central health crises of a generation, the pandemic has actually affected people of all nations, continents, races, and socioeconomic groups. The need for notifying the public has been mandatory as the response is required for the action of quarantaining the entire communities, closing of schools, social isolation, and shelter-in-places orders.

On the contrary, the public is overly stressed by the exaggerated publication of some media from all over the world. The daily red alarm of increasing confirmed cases and death rates will inevitably lead to anxiety among the public. So, as a result, one must address and confirm the source of the news and one must be careful not to be overwhelmed by the exaggerated and misleading news during the crisis.

Anxiety relating to quarantine and isolation

Although quarantine and isolation are adopted for protecting individual’s physical health from infectious diseases, it is also essential to consider the mental health implications of these measures for those who experienced such restrictions. A study showed that about 25% of the patients under strict quarantine may develop PTSD ( post traumatic psychological disorders), especially for children and their parents. Most patients expressed feeling neglected, isolated, angry and may eventually lead to depression. Studies also reported the minor symptoms of loneliness, abandonment, boredom, low self-esteem, lack of attention, disruption of routines, and negative emotions. Therefore, health care workers and providers should be aware of such mental illness as a consequences of covid 19.

Anxiety relating to underlying medical conditions

People with underlying medical diseases, especially older adults, may become more anxious, angry, stressed, agitated and withdrawn during the outbreak or while in quarantine. Having the knowledge of underlying disease conditions worsening the outcome of covid 19, which in turn, become the stressor for the worsening of the disease.

Such high risk groups need to be informed with simple and clear instructions of what is going on and how to reduce the risk and not to panic about the disease. It is advisable to engage with family members and other support networks in providing information and helping them to practice preventive measures.