Psychiatric advice during Covid-19 pandemic for patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

The new pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that is caused by a new strain of coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), has become an issue for governments and health care providers such as specialists including psychiatrists worldwide (1). Treatment strategies and vaccination for this disease are yet to be explored. Therefore, at this time, the best-proposed health measure to break the chain of transmission is social distancing or, in some instances, quarantine. In a recent systematic review published in Lancet, Brooks et al. (2) evaluated the psychological impacts of quarantine during the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Accordingly, most of the reviewed studies reported adverse psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger (2). Delays in psychological interventions in such situations can lead to psychological damage to individuals who are involved (3). However, people with a pre-existing mental health problem such as anxiety or depressive disorder would be more vulnerable to experience adverse psychological effects of quarantine and social distancing.