Effects of covid-19 on mental health

Abstract

The present global scenario of a pandemic has affected the human race as a whole and still continues to create unrest among all segments of the society, be it those from the economically weaker background or the affluent part of the society. When the entire human race is dealing with such a scenario, it is known that anxiety and fear among the masses grow due to lack of knowledge and lack of preparedness of healthcare infrastructure. Through this article, I want to highlight the effects of such an unexpected mass event and particu-larly throw light on its effects on the mental well-being of individuals. It also aims to showcase the gravity of the issues related to mental health and how the number of people affected is exponentially increasing. The article will also dis-cuss various coping mechanisms and ways to deal with stress, anxiety etc., to keep us mentally healthy and also suggest methods to promote mental health, thus creating a positive environment during such times of crisis. Thus it is safe to say that mental health is as important if not more important than physical health. A person is said to be COVID-19 positive when the person tests positive in an RT-PCR test. A CT Chest has proved to be helpful in judging the risk of complications. Imaging reveals non-specific changes like that of pneumonia. As of now, there is no definitive therapy for Covid-19, although a few drugs like dexamethasone have proved to reduce the severity of the disease.