Here is medical information from an authoritative source.
(The lockdown delayed the publication of this issue. That is why an interview done in July is quoted in the June issue of this magazine!)
In an interview published in The Hindu newspaper of July 15, Dr Pratima Murthy, Director of NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore), speaks of the neurological and emotional fallout of Covid.
Dr Murthy speaks of the change in awareness. When COVID first hit, people were afraid of contracting it from objects, touch, etc. They would wash groceries before cooking, and avoid touching things. Later, this fear was seen as largely unfounded.
Keeping physical distance from people, especially dear ones, has had serious consequences. Doctors find that a number of survivors of COVID, having been deprived of human contact during their bout of illness, suffer repeated panic attacks.
In some ways, children adjusted better than adults, since they are used to change. But if the lack of contact was prolonged, it had consequences on their psyche.
Deprived of normal physical contacts in school, home and neighborhood, children often ended up with excessive access to social media. Some of them have been negatively influenced—by gaming, gambling and pornography.
Lack of real life contacts and physical movement can also affect their physical and cultural development.
Asked about the possible long-term impact of Covid, Dr Murthy replied, “Yes, it can have long-term implications. We are seeing cases where people are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can persist for long time. Then, on people with pre-existing mental health problems, the stress, anxiety, and grief could have a compound effect.”
So, too, when a person’s brain is affected, it can damage their mental health.
One issue is: People are not used to talking about their mental health problems or seeking help. We need to integrate our mental and physical health. Stress and other mental health problems can severely affect our physical health. It is not enough to care for our body. Since there is need of support and help, NIMHANS is offering online help. It is offered by qualified personnel, and is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
Some professionals, especially those in medical work, face lots of stress. To manage this, a person needs to focus on both one’s positive and negative experiences. Thus, for instance, a doctor should not recall only the patients who died, but remember those who got better and those who died. If he were to focus only on the deaths, he will under tremendous stress.
Dr Pratima Murthy’s suggestions are worth taking into account. We all need to focus on our integral well-being—physical, emotional, social, spiritual—for we human beings are a complex unity. This will help us also to understand the emotional ups and downs of actual or recovered Covid patients, and to give them the support they need. If we cannot do it ourselves, we will do well to seek professional help—be it for ourselves or for those in our care.
Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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