The period of isolation caused by Covid-19 lasted almost two years and affected practically the entire world population. The consequences can be seen in several areas of life and are also reported by those who did not get sick in the period. Mental health has been particularly affected by the pandemic.
According to a scientific summary released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the number of people with anxiety and depression increased by 25%. In this context, the term “coronophobia” emerged, classified as an extreme fear of contracting the infection.
People with the condition experience physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms despite taking all possible precautions to avoid the condition.
“The pandemic has affected the mental health of a large part of the population. The difficult financial situation, the accumulation of debts, the fear of catching Covid and the death of close people generated sadness, insomnia, irritation, anguish and anxiety attacks in people “, explains psychologist Vanessa Gebrim, specialist in clinical psychology at the Pontifical University Catholic of Sao Paulo.
Coronophobia can bring harm to family, social or professional life, so a psychologist should be sought when symptoms begin to appear. If there are physical signs of fear and anxiety, such as palpitations or shortness of breath, it is necessary to seek help as soon as possible.
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Know the signs of coronophobia:
1. Fear of leaving home
With isolation, each one’s home became a source of security. This habit, intensified by the fear of contracting Covid, may have continued even after restrictions were relaxed.
“Even with the flexibilities, many people end up not being able to leave the house yet. Fear is an irrational feeling and is part of life. A clue that the person has passed the healthy limit is when this fear causes functional disorders, affecting relationships with friends, family and work”, explains Vanessa.
2. Stress exacerbated
Due to the fear of contaminating yourself, contact with other people can end up generating stress. In addition, the person may become nervous about small things that used to not matter.
3. Poor sleep, shortness of breath and palpitations
Worry, fear and stress can start to be felt in the body. According to the expert, there are some physical symptoms that are common to coronophobia. Among them are:
- Palpitations;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Sleep damage.
4. Social Phobia
In many cases, all the feeling of fear and insecurity can end up turning into a social phobia. “One of the main symptoms of coronophobia is the person being very nervous when leaving the house and this ends up causing problems with sleep and appetite, in addition to anxiety attacks”, he adds.
In addition, when the person leaves the house, they are worried all the time, even taking care not to contaminate themselves. This reaction can be an indication that something is not right.
5. Excessive fear of getting sick
Feeling a recurring fear of being sick is one of the main signs left by the pandemic. Some people were terrified of touching surfaces for fear of catching a virus, in addition to starting to look for doctors frequently.
“Many no longer go to crowded places and also don’t touch things that other people have touched, before the necessary cleaning. It turns out that, in the emotional scope of this issue, many people have felt sad, guilty or afraid beyond the account of being contaminated, for themselves and for their family members”, says the psychologist.
Here are the most common symptoms of Covid:
***CoronavirusLaboratory tests confirmed that the drug is able to contain the viral capacity of mutations, such as Ômicron and Delta, classified as variants of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyElderly people and people with comorbidities such as heart disease, lung disease or obesity, and those who are immunosuppressed are at greater risk of developing more serious complications from Covid-19Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyAt the beginning of the pandemic, the main symptoms associated with the disease were fever, tiredness, dry cough, body aches, nasal congestion, runny nose and diarrhea.Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyTwo years after the confirmation of the first case, with the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus, the list of symptoms has changed.Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyPatients also began to report chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of smell and/or taste, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are also part of the symptoms.Microgen Images/Science Photo Library/GettyImages
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyThe Delta variant, first identified in India, quickly spread around the world and generated a new profile of the disease.Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyIt currently resembles a cold, with headaches, sore throat, runny nose and fever, according to a symptom-tracking study by scientists at King’s College London. Boy_Anupong/Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyThe change in the profile of symptoms is a challenge in controlling the pandemic, since people can associate them with a common flu and not respect the quarantine, increasing viral circulation.Pixabay
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyA study done in the United Kingdom, with 38 thousand people, showed that the symptoms of Covid-19 are different between men and women. Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyWhile they tend to experience more shortness of breath, fatigue, chills and a fever, they are more likely to lose their sense of smell, experience chest pain and have a persistent cough.Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodySymptoms also change between young and old. People over 60 report diarrhea more often, while loss of smell is less common.Getty Images
***Coronavirus-acts-on-the-bodyMost infected people who have had both doses of the vaccine suffer from symptoms considered mild, such as headache, runny nose, sneezing and sore throat.Mueller Malt/GettyImages
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