Impact on people’s mental health
A recent study has found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can have a bad effect on human mental health. In the period of three months since testing positive for COVID-19, nearly 20 percent of people with COVID-19 were diagnosed with mental illness, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia. One in four of them was first diagnosed with a psychiatric evaluation. Patients with “long COVID,” those who have COVID-19 and are still suffering symptoms after a long time, seem to experience mental health problems, which can be caused by various factors, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, lethargy, fatigue, and loss of smell. Even for people who didn’t get corona, letting them stay at home increased loneliness, isolation, restlessness, and anxiety, as millions of people were forced to adapt quickly to new realities and change their lifestyles rapidly. It is an epidemic that has had a harmful effect on the mental health of those who have been affected throughout history. For example, the Lancet said that the occurrence of the Ebola virus brought “extensive panic and anxiety, depression from the unexpected deaths of people around them, stigma and social exclusion of survivors.” And the Spanish flu epidemic, which broke out in 1918-1919, had long affected the mental health of people who survived, as a result of a large-scale, sudden loss of life that has left many people in a chronic state of lethargy and anxiety (Orvitz, 2021).
Loss of employment
The COVID-19 pandemic has made a big change in our country, the world, and our lives. We have suffered tremendous losses of life, and many people have been fired or have worked through fear as necessary front-line workers. The pandemic has completely changed many things, including our work methods, and the pandemic goes on to bother front-line workers, as it has impacted and changed the employer-employee relations. On the other hand, some people have the capacity to work from home and make a “new normal.” Other people work more hours and have more physical work. Nevertheless, workers on both sides feel that they are working harder and under more stress than they did before the outbreak. In many professional sectors, workers can think of overworking as a tactical action to infectious diseases. From front-line employees to factory employees, everyone is tired and needs a break. No matter what everyone thinks, we are still fighting this epidemic and have to show patience. Before the pandemic, corporations encouraged rest and proper vacations. Today, these messages are not very large or clear to workers. These employees now remain exhausted (Court, 2020).
Effects of wearing masks
According to some recent research, wearing a mask over the nose and the mouth helps decrease the spread of droplets. It helps reduce the likelihood of infection, especially in public places or places in which people cannot be more than six feet away from one another. Wearing masks prevents them from unconsciously touching their faces, a potential cause of infection. Wearing a mask all the time and making a habit of washing your hands after taking off your mask are great methods to decline your chances of getting the virus (Gilliland, 2020).
Conclusion
COVID-19, which started in 2019, is still having a large and small impact on the individual lives of people around the world. Some people suffer from mental health problems, some lose their jobs, and there is a lifestyle in which they always wear masks wherever they go. We are all suffering from COVID-19 together, and it is important to thoroughly follow recommendations to protect ourselves and others, such as wearing masks, social distancing, and washing our hands properly to overcome this.
References
Orvitz, K. and Oct 01, 2021 (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Workers –. [online] Occupational Health & Safety. Available at: https://ohsonline.com/articles/2021/10/01/no-title.aspx [Accessed 4 August 2022].
Court, E. (2020). Anxiety, depression and insomnia: the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. [online] www.gavi.org. Available at: https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/anxiety-depression-and-insomnia-impact-covid-19-mental-health?gclid=Cj0KCQjwio6XBhCMARIsAC0u9aFyVAulEsukozPrRtEfe3zng-hTuF_WzSnpBpFQViXoesQeU0LVUs8aAiCjEALw_wcB [Accessed 4 August 2022].
Gilliland, T. (2020). 5 Reasons You Should Wear a Mask to Slow the Spread of COVID-19. [online] Blue Shield of California | News Center. Available at: https://news.blueshieldca.com/2020/07/13/5-reasons-you-should-wear-a-mask-to-slow-the-spread-of-covid-19 [Accessed 6 August 2022].
