Broadly Speaking: WUHAN VIRUS AND MENTAL HEALTH

INTRODUCTION

Coronavirus refers to a group of related RNA viruses which are responsible for causing diseases in mammals and birds. Humans can suffer from respiratory tract infections because of this deadly virus. The infection can be mild or lethal. The outbreak of coronavirus was first reported officially in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then, there have been at least 427,400 deaths and more than 7,708,368 confirmed positive cases. It is suspected that this virus originated from bats because it is 96% similar to a bat coronavirus. Travel restrictions and the nationwide lockdown has been imposed in many countries to prevent this virus from claiming the lives of people. Coronavirus spreads through droplets released when an infected person sneezes, coughs or exhales. The droplets are heavy. So, they rest on the surfaces instead of hanging in the air. That is why, a person can get infected if he is within close proximity of an already infected person or if a person touches a contaminated surface and through eyes, nose and mouth. People who get infected with mild disease recover in almost two weeks where those with a critical or severe disease take about three to six weeks to recover from coronavirus.

PRECAUTIONS

No vaccine has been developed till now to treat this deadly virus. Scientists all over the world are trying to develop a vaccine to deal with coronavirus. Elderly people and people with heart diseases, diabetes, asthma, obesity and small children are more vulnerable to coronavirus. Since no vaccine has been developed till now, people are supposed to follow certain steps in their daily life in order to prevent coronavirus. Some of the precautions that we all must take seriously to fight against coronavirus are as follows-

Stay home- For this purpose, the government has imposed nationwide lockdown in many countries. Work at home is being encouraged and people are advised to follow self-isolation.

• Hands should always be kept clean. People should wash their hands using soap and water.
• Alcohol-based sanitizers should be used.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• While coughing or sneezing, mouth should always be covered with a bent elbow.
• Safe distance should be maintained from a person who is coughing or sneezing.
• Doctor should be consulted immediately if a person is suffering from fever or has difficulty in breathing.
• Directions given by the local health authorities should be followed seriously.
• Don’t go outside unnecessarily. Stay home, stay safe
• Maintain a distance of one metre or three feet with others. Social distancing should be practiced seriously.

COVID-19 AND MENTAL HEALTH

In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, many countries have imposed nationwide lockdown. People are facing a lot of problems related to household expenses, income. The world economy has come to a standstill. Fear, stress, anxiety, depression are common during this time. People should not ignore their mental health. We are facing new situations daily like work at home, staying away from friends and relatives, and restricted movement outside. Therefore, it becomes important to take care of our mental health as well as our physical health. During this time the mental health of people is getting affected because people are constantly worrying about their health, health of their family members. Financial crunch is a major factor affecting mental health. Over three hundred suicide cases have been reported in the lockdown because of fear of infection, alcohol withdrawal, loneliness, and restrictions on the movement. It has been reported that suicidal tendencies among people have been increasing at an alarming rate. In order to cure mental illness and reduce suicide cases in India, many psychologists are offering free mental health services to people in India. The Government of India has launched a toll-free helpline number-08046110007 to help people facing problems related to mental health during this period. People suffering from depression are particularly getting affected during lockdown.

TIPS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH

We all are living under stress, anxiety and fear because of this global pandemic. There are certain tips that we must follow to keep stress, anxiety, and fear at bay during this period. These tips would be beneficial for our mental health also. Some of the tips are as follows-

• People should try to follow a normal routine as much as possible.
• People should spend limited time on social media.
• Physical activities should be taken up by people.
• A healthy diet should be followed and junk food should be avoided.
• Ensure that you have adequate sleep.
• Alcohol and drugs should be avoided.
• Do not pay attention to rumours flooding on social media.
• In order to avoid negative emotions, meditate regularly.
• Read books, listen to music and practice your hobby in order to keep yourself engaged during this period.

It is important to keep in mind that mental health is an important aspect of overall health of a human and should not be neglected.

CONCLUSION

A person should never take his mental health for granted. It is important to take care of our mental health during this period. People should hesitate to talk about problems related to mental health in public. Also, it becomes the duty of people to help, support and love people suffering from various mental health problems. If you are feeling isolated during this period, connect with your friends and family members through various social media applications. Staying positive is the need of the hour. It is important to stay positive and optimistic during this period.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION-

1. How can we deal with anxiety due to Covid-19?

Ans- Whenever anyone is feeling anxious, he/ she should practice breathing slowly for a few minutes. To calm the mind, backward counting can be helpful as it distracts a person. Stay positive and optimistic and practice meditation.

[The author, Arsha Sharma is a 2nd year Ba.LLB(Hons.) student at The Law School, University of Jammu ]

[1] ‘Global Research on Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19)’<https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov> accessed 13 June 2020

[2] ‘Covid-19: India is staring at a mental health crisis’<https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-india-is-staring-at-a-mental-health-crisis/story-hmBOzUYsbo3SmtlWilmBzL.html>accessed 13 June 2020

[3] ‘Covid-19: Rise in Mental Health Issues Indicates Need To Change Our Priorities’<https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/covid-19-rise-in-mental-health-issues-indicates-need-to-change-our-priorities/articleshow/75937103.cms>accessed 13 June 2020