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“The world needs huge positive energy to fight against the negative forces. Go to the center of your inner being and generate that positive energy for the welfare of the humanity.”
― Amit Ray
Covid-19 is one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. It is estimated that to date, over 7.6 million people have succumbed to the virus and its implications on its victim’s bodies. In addition, researchers suggest that Covid-19 has resulted in a significant decline in life expectancy. Panama, Mexico, Peru, and the United States are some of the countries that have experienced considerable depression in life expectancy. Currently, the life expectancy in America has reduced to 77.1 years, a decrease of about 1.7 years. Estimations suggest that life expectancy may continue to decline if the pandemic continues. Luckily, recent findings by health experts show that Coronavirus is manageable through timelines. Experts suggest that with the help of a health specialist, individuals can control Covid-19 implications without the need for hospitalization. We will discuss the findings in detail later in this article.
In addition to a raced mortality rate and life expectancy reduction, Covid-19 is linked with a dozen other impacts, including disruption of people’s physical, social, and mental wellness, leading to the estimated lifespan decline. This article will explore the effects of Covid-19 on an individual’s health, particularly on mental health.
Let’s get started.
Impacts of Covid-19 on Mental Wellness
Although covid19 has impacted almost everybody globally, the impacts’ severity on mental wellness varies in different states. According to research, United States, France, and India have experienced a significant decrease in mental health. The United States has the highest increase in mental health issues. Nearly 60% of her population is fighting mental problems, increasing to about 40% from 20% 2018-2019.
Various factors influence the severity of Covid-19 impacts on mental health and wellbeing. The factors include spreading and mortality rate, age, social and economic status, gender, availability of comorbid health conditions, individual’s mindset, and occupation. This is because Covid-19 related stressors vary across groups of people in different countries.
According to surveys, depression, anxiety, stress, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder are the most common mental conditions among the general public, resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, other conditions such as somatization, self-rated distress, and stigmatization are typical to a particular group of people. Let’s dive deeper into discussing the impacts.
- Depression
Depression is a mood-related psychological condition that leads to severe constant sadness and lack of psych and interest in ordinary things. Studies show that there has been an uncontrollable prevalence of depression across countries.
One analysis, pulled from a phone survey, indicates that Peru (32%), Mexico (35.8%), United States (41.1%), and Panama (25.3%) have experienced a significant rise in depression than in countries such as Vietnam (9%).
Various studies point out several Covid-19-related stressors, including economic recession, food insecurity, health risks, and mortality rate, as the primary cause of depression prevalence. According to various studies worldwide, more adult women are experiencing depressive episodes resulting from Covid-19 implications.
- Anxiety
Anxiety is the other mental condition that its recent prevalence is linked with Covid-19 upset.
W.H.O suggests that anxiety is a typical mental condition today, affecting 40% of American adults. Statistics show that young adults between 18 to 24 years old were more affected and reported anxiety symptoms than older adults – about 56% of the Covid-19-related anxiety cases were young adults.
Closure of schools and loss of income, resulting from the spread and the need to contain Coronavirus, were the main factors that resulted in the prevalence of anxiety.
- Stress
Stress is the other mental problem directly linked to the upset of Covid-19 affecting the general population of different countries. Stress refers to the body’s reaction to changes and challenges.
The upset of the Coronavirus came with tons of changes. And millions of people are facing challenges adapting to the “new normal” – adaptability challenges – causing a spike in individuals’ stress levels. On average, 29.6% stress prevalence has been observed, according to a meta-analysis that examined five studies on stress prevalence during the Coronavirus period.
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is one of the common mental problems that has been chiefly reported on Covid-19 patients. Coronavirus is a deadly disease with significantly severe implications on the patient’s body. According to health experts, the virus attacks different parts of the body, causing severe damages to the attacked organs. These implications lead to life-threatening experiences – near-death experience, which results in post-traumatic stress on the virus’ victims.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is also common in health workers, especially nurses attending Covid-19 patients. Witnessing the agony in Covid-19 patients is the main factor that results in PTSD in healthcare workers.
- Somatization
Somatization is a psychological condition common among healthcare professions, especially nurses. Researches reveal a significant prevalence of somatization among healthcare professionals, especially in India, the United States, Italy, and other countries with an extreme spreading of Covid-19 disease.
The rapid spread has resulted in an extraordinary workload in the healthcare systems across most Covid-19 affected countries. Consequently, more healthcare professionals are reporting somatic symptoms, emotional burnout, and other psychological pressure-related conditions.
Luckily, recent innovations – on the Covid-19 implications pathology – and the vaccine development may reduce the workload.
- Stigmatization
Coronavirus is directly linked to increased stigmatization in societies.
Stigmatization refers to disregarding or disapproving a person or a group of people with specific distinctive characteristics. It is described as perceiving some people as worthy of segregation and excluding them from their social life.
Studies show that health workers and Covid-19 patients are more stigmatized. This leads to more severe consequences such as chronic stress, Self-rated distress, and others. The fear of contracting the disease is the primary cause of stigmatization.
- Self-rated Mental Health Distress
Self-rated mental health is the conceptualization of one’s psychological health. It is a subjective predictor of quality of life, morbidity, and mortality.
Researchers link the recent prevalence of self-rated distress among the general population to loss of income resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the K.F.F. Health Tracking Poll analysis, people who lost their income and the population with low income reported distressed psychology status – 59% of people with low income registered at least one mental condition. These population groups pointed out Covid-19-related worries, stress, or fear of the unknown as the cause of their distress.
Bonus Points: New Development about Covid-19
Through hard work, persistence, and tireless research to contain the coronavirus pandemic, health experts have determined the pathology of severe implications of the virus in the patient’s body. According to the experts, you can manage the disease through timelines. That is, understanding different phases, processes, and changes that occur in your body after contracting the virus and knowing when the changes occur can help you regulate the virus’s implications. Therefore, you do not have to risk your mental wellness worrying about your health after contracting Coronavirus. Let’s dive deeper into discussing how you can manage the disease’s implication.
How to Manage Covid-19 through Timelines
Here, the most important thing is to note the time of occurrence for different phases. Knowing the timelines will enable you to control Covid-19 implications using steroids and anticoagulants without the need for hospitalization. However, it is advisable to get a health specialist for prescriptions and other directives about the drugs.
The phases of Coronavirus Implications on Patient’s Body
Phase 1: Incubation Period
The incubation period refers to the time from the entry of the virus into the body (when you contract the virus) to when you experience the first Covid-19 symptoms. The symptoms may include body ache, fever, sour throat, cough, Diarrhea (occasionally), and headache.
Usually, the incubation period lasts for 3-7 days. When Coronavirus gets into your body, cell metabolism takes place – the virus metabolizes body cells to their advantage, allowing them to multiply.
On the second day, your body recognizes the virus and produces antibodies (protective proteins for fighting foreign substances in the body) to fight the virus. The fight may continue for about four days. During the fight, chemicals, cytokines (chemicals that regulate production of blood cells, and immunity chemicals and controls inflation) are released into the bloodstreams. Although cytokines control inflation, particular types of cytokines may result in inflation, leading to virus attack symptoms.
Patients should administer no medicine during this stage. Administering drugs in this phase will prolong the multiplication of viruses, which may cause more severe implications later. However, it is highly advisable to note the first symptom of the infection. Noting the sign will help you determine when to start medication.
Phase 2: Advanced implications stage
This is the most dangerous phase. Experts advise drug intake at this stage.
According to experts, the phase does not result from Coronavirus infection. It results from the body’s identification and reaction to foreign cells.
The antibodies recognize Coronavirus by identifying specific spike proteins on the virus’s surface. This enables the antibodies to distinguish the viruses from the body cells. However, some body’s cells (blood vessels (lungs) cells, intestines, liver, and kidney cells) have structures, spike proteins that resemble coronavirus’ features. The antibodies identify the spike protein in those cells and categorize the cells as foreign bodies. Hence they attack them, damaging the organs with those cells.
The damaging of lung blood vessel cells leads to blood clotting in those bloodstreams, blocking the normal flow of the blood in and out of the lungs. This deprives oxygen supply in the body, causing other implications. Therefore, the severe consequences in the lungs and other body organs are not by Coronavirus but by the body’s antibodies damaging body cells.
Administering drugs helps regulate the production of cytokines, preventing severe damage to body cells and tissues.
Steroids and anticoagulants are the most effective drugs for managing Covid-19 implications. According to health experts, steroids should be taken, combined with anticoagulants for ten days. After the 10-period, you should stop using them and continue with anticoagulants. Anticoagulants should be administered for three weeks. Note that the drugs are also dangerous and may have severe adverse effects such as osteoporosis, the onset of diabetes, the onset of high blood pressure, and other conditions that can be critical to your health. Therefore, we recommend prescriptions from a knowledgeable health specialist before starting drug intake.
Phase 3: Secondary Implications
This is a less dangerous phase. It results from medication – the drugs used to treat Covid-19 implications (anticoagulants and steroids). Usually, the effects in this phase are severe in people with comorbid health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, among other conditions. Covid-19 patients with comorbid physical health conditions should ensure regular checks to avoid worsening of the issues. Your doctor will advise you on the best medications regarding your situation.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the mental wellness of many significantly. While mental health is the core element for sustaining physical and social wellbeing, it is advisable to take extreme care of your psychological health. One of the best ways to maintain your mental wellness is to equip yourself with relevant knowledge about the pandemic and avoid unnecessary exposure to Coronaviruses. Although you can control the virus’s implication by yourself, it is best to note that you may experience traumatic experiences from the infection. Therefore, ensure to take the appropriate measures to protect yourself.
“Although our main concern is to treat people with substance use disorder and mental health issues and to ultimately prepare them for reintegration into society, vaccination is crucial in terms of ensuring overall health and well-being.” -Susanne Bjelbo
References
They are assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student wellbeing at universities in the United Kingdom: A conceptual analysis. (n.d.). Frontiers. https://internal-journal.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2020.582882/full?
The Coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic’s impact on mental health. (n.d.). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361582/
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and people… : The hearing journal. (n.d.). LWW. https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2021/03000/impact_of_covid_19_pandemic_on_mental_health_and.10.aspx
The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use. (2021, February 10). KFF. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-Covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-Covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/#:~:text=The%20KFF%20Health%20Tracking%20Poll,eating%2C%20increases%20in%20alcohol%20consumption
