The World Health Organization (WHO) health agency has recently advised on fostering mental health amid the Coronavirus outbreak. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Use has also emphasized protecting mental well-being while WHO and other health authorities across the world act towards containing the spread of the virus.
In the WHO’s 31-point guidance, it mostly targets the general populace. This advice specifically includes the healthcare providers and workers, people with underlying health conditions, and those living in isolation due to a widespread lockdown.
The UN health agency stressed on expressing empathy to those infected by the virus, getting and relying on factual information, as well as helping others and working together as one community.
Facts and figures on mental health during the outbreak
According to a partnership between Axios and Ipsos, the menace posed by the coronavirus outbreak has started to take a toll on the mental health and emotional well-being of many Americans. Such toll has been brought by the impact of social distancing and widespread shutdown of public spaces, while the outbreak still continues to grow.
The recent national survey that consisted of 1092 adults was conducted from March 13 to 16. Those dates were deemed to be a tipping point as official warnings, and tight restrictions had been released.
The survey revealed that 22 percent of the people said that their mental health had taken a hit. Additionally, 29 percent said that their emotional well-being had gotten worse, while another 80 percent said they’re concerned about the coronavirus.
Advice on being mindful of the mental health
In a related report, Patricia Thornton, a licensed psychologist in New York City, told Healthline that the current situation might lead people to have a feeling of isolation as naturally social beings. She emphasized the need to focus on preparedness, staying calm, reaching out to others, and having self-care.
Healthline also provided some valuable tips on how to cope up with the issues of mental health in the face of coronavirus outbreak. These include getting a grasp on anxiety, allowing oneself to be angry but practical, and finding some ways to connect and stay busy.
Current status of the coronavirus outbreak
The stress level continues to escalate everywhere ever since January when WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease. It had further worsened when they announced that the coronavirus outbreak became a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
As of March 18, a report from Statista shows that the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has reached a total of 198,78 with a total of 7,954 deaths and 2.5 percent mean infection rate.
Conclusion
The new coronavirus disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, which was then called COVID-19. According to experts, the coronavirus is a family of viruses, similar to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
According to other healthcare professionals, COVID-19 is a contagious disease causing mild to severe respiratory symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It can be transmitted through person-to-person contact, albeit it’s not totally established as to how it is exactly spread.
If you are looking for information about the recent news and development on the Coronavirus outbreak, browse through our website for your guide and reference.
