There are many examples for which people have misconceptions and stigma about the COVID-19 disease. As seen from the recent data in India, the stigma attached to COVID-19 and the fear of isolation may be the reasons for people shying away from being diagnosed. With several reports now emerging that people suspected of corona virus infection are fleeing from quarantine facilities in India owing to isolation and social stigma fears, this can lead to unnecessary panic and spread of the deadly disease.
Impact of Covid 19 on individuals and its management:
Elderly people are more prone to the COVID‐19 outbreak due to both clinical and social reasons such as having a weaker immune system or other underlying health conditions and distancing from their families and friends due to their busy schedules. Physical distancing due to the COVID‐19 outbreak can have drastic negative effects on the mental health of the elderly and disabled individuals. Physical isolation at home among family members can put the elderly and disabled person at serious mental health risk. It can cause anxiety, distress, and induce a traumatic situation for them. Elderly people depend on young ones for their daily needs, and self‐isolation can critically damage a family system. The elderly and disabled people living in nursing homes can face extreme mental health issues3.
The World Health Organization suggests that family members should regularly check on older people living within their homes and at nursing facilities. Younger family members should take some time to talk to older members of the family and become involved in some of their daily routines if possible.
Impact of Covid 19 on families and its management: For many, the loss of family members with those losses often occurring in ways removed from family contact that are in this era unusual. For almost everyone, there are anxieties and other feelings related to such potential losses. Combine this with the other problems (e.g., increased unemployment and financial vulnerability) that accompany the pandemic, dealing with loss and possible loss are ubiquitous. Physical contact and close emotional contact have been mandated in many places by orders to remain within living units. It also makes for sometimes painful, intentional choices about who is in close contact with whom, that is, who is included within the boundary of close contact and who is excluded. Clearly, additional risks are evident in couples and families already at risk of violence, conflict, or other forms of relational difficulty. There also is a challenge for those who depend on rituals for connection, be it church or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or family dinners that are now disrupted4
Rapid and decisive action by governments in order to support the most vulnerable people highlighting the importance of a broad and coordinated policy response that includes strengthened social protection, education, health care, housing support and specific interventions to enhance personal security of women and children, as well as actions supporting vulnerable workers, small businesses, communities and regions
Impact of COVID 19 on front line warriors and its management:
The Covid -19 has affected healthcare workers ineptly all over the world. Front line health care providers have mortality rate of 1.4%.but in countries like Italy it has gone up to 9%.All above mortality is mainly due to higher pathogen exposure. Despite following all the guidelines by CDC and WHO to manage the patients, still the health care workers are affected in this crisis. The various challenges faced by health care workers include hazards like more prone to pathogen exposure, long working hours, psychological distress, fatigue, occupational burnout, stigma, and physical and psychological violence. Despite serving patients of COVID-19 and risking their life, healthcare workers were treated very badly. Reports say that doctors have been spat at and chased away from homes. Some physicians and their families have also been ostracized by their neighbors and landlords because of their exposure to patients infected with COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic female health workers are facing a double burden: longer shifts at work and additional care work at home5.
Government should introduce stress management workshops and counselling in health sector and it should be conducted at a regular intervals. Use effective stress reducing techniques such as mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing exercises and guided imagery meditation, they are an excellent way of combating anxiety and achieve deep mental and physical relaxation. All these steps will go a long way in making the workplace of health care worker stress-free. It is the duty of admiration to provide security to medical fraternity and punish the culprits so that health workers can work stress free in this pandemic. Simultaneously special insurance and health package can be awarded to provide sense of security to health care providers. Recently govt. of India passed an amendment bill for protection of health care workers in COVID pandemic6.
DISCUSSION:
Generally recognized for their emotional
resilience, Health Care
workers must now face additional layers of responsibilities
and mental and physical hardships.1 We remain uncertain about the timeline
and actions needed