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How Coronavirus Is Taking a Toll on Mental Health How Coronavirus Is Taking a Toll on Mental Health
(about 2 hours later)
— Francesca Donner, editor of In Her Words, on how the coronavirus is taking a toll on people’s mental health— Francesca Donner, editor of In Her Words, on how the coronavirus is taking a toll on people’s mental health
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There’s no doubt about it: As the weeks of shelter-in-place orders drag on, the ever-present drumbeat of stress is getting harder to ignore. People are antsy, plans to “reopen” states are vague and contradictory, and as the questions mount, the answers remain just out of reach.There’s no doubt about it: As the weeks of shelter-in-place orders drag on, the ever-present drumbeat of stress is getting harder to ignore. People are antsy, plans to “reopen” states are vague and contradictory, and as the questions mount, the answers remain just out of reach.
Can I still afford rent? When can I see my friends again? Will my kids ever return to school? Is it safe to go outside? What will life look like when this is all over, if this situation ever truly ends?Can I still afford rent? When can I see my friends again? Will my kids ever return to school? Is it safe to go outside? What will life look like when this is all over, if this situation ever truly ends?
Stress changes a person, at least in the short term. Experts reassure us that strange dreams, scattershot memories and bodily discomfort are all normal responses to a highly unusual situation. But that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable — or unsettling.Stress changes a person, at least in the short term. Experts reassure us that strange dreams, scattershot memories and bodily discomfort are all normal responses to a highly unusual situation. But that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable — or unsettling.
We’re here for some candid talk about the rising levels of stress during lockdown, and how to cope. Corinne Purtill is a freelance journalist and a parent of two, and Francesca Donner is a Times editor and a parent of three.We’re here for some candid talk about the rising levels of stress during lockdown, and how to cope. Corinne Purtill is a freelance journalist and a parent of two, and Francesca Donner is a Times editor and a parent of three.
Corinne: Hi, Francesca. We’re now — let me check my notes here — about seven and a half years into home quarantine. How are you doing?Corinne: Hi, Francesca. We’re now — let me check my notes here — about seven and a half years into home quarantine. How are you doing?
Francesca: Well, technically fine. But it’s been well over a month since my kids stopped going to school and I stopped going to the office and we officially stopped seeing people, other than a grocery worker here or there. Not to point out the obvious, but it starts to wear you down. You?Francesca: Well, technically fine. But it’s been well over a month since my kids stopped going to school and I stopped going to the office and we officially stopped seeing people, other than a grocery worker here or there. Not to point out the obvious, but it starts to wear you down. You?
Corinne: Same. On good days, I remember to be grateful that my family is healthy, and we have a safe place to stay. But I still liked it better back when I had all that stuff and I could go wherever I wanted.Corinne: Same. On good days, I remember to be grateful that my family is healthy, and we have a safe place to stay. But I still liked it better back when I had all that stuff and I could go wherever I wanted.
Francesca: I realize a large part of the problem for me is simply not knowing the end point. The way it is now, there are these hazy dates on the horizon, but they seem just to feed a false sense of hope. Nobody actually knows when this will end.Francesca: I realize a large part of the problem for me is simply not knowing the end point. The way it is now, there are these hazy dates on the horizon, but they seem just to feed a false sense of hope. Nobody actually knows when this will end.
Corinne: Nobody knows. A friend of mine compared it to entering a marathon and finding out midrace that they’re moving the finish line back a few miles — again, and again, and again.Corinne: Nobody knows. A friend of mine compared it to entering a marathon and finding out midrace that they’re moving the finish line back a few miles — again, and again, and again.
Francesca: You can see people starting to unravel. A LeanIn.Org survey out this week suggests women are experiencing stress at up to twice the rate of men. And being under this pressure makes us — women and men — do and say things that, well, we might not normally do. Parents shouting at kids. Adults shouting at each other.Francesca: You can see people starting to unravel. A LeanIn.Org survey out this week suggests women are experiencing stress at up to twice the rate of men. And being under this pressure makes us — women and men — do and say things that, well, we might not normally do. Parents shouting at kids. Adults shouting at each other.
One friend of mine said she threw her husband’s clothes out of the window because he left them on the floor. She said it was extremely cathartic.One friend of mine said she threw her husband’s clothes out of the window because he left them on the floor. She said it was extremely cathartic.
Corinne: Oh my God. I think I just snorted my coffee through my nose.Corinne: Oh my God. I think I just snorted my coffee through my nose.
Francesca: Plus, you’re either never alone, or always alone. Harried families and roommates are desperate for a moment of peace, while for some people isolating alone, maybe all they want is a moment of companionship.Francesca: Plus, you’re either never alone, or always alone. Harried families and roommates are desperate for a moment of peace, while for some people isolating alone, maybe all they want is a moment of companionship.
Corinne: A definitive conclusion from this quarantine is that humans’ sweet spot really is somewhere between “alone every minute” and “never alone for a second.”Corinne: A definitive conclusion from this quarantine is that humans’ sweet spot really is somewhere between “alone every minute” and “never alone for a second.”
Francesca: Indeed.Francesca: Indeed.
Corinne: There was a haunting line in Jill Lepore’s recent New Yorker piece on loneliness: “One tragedy of loneliness is that lonely people can’t see that lots of people feel the same way they do.”Corinne: There was a haunting line in Jill Lepore’s recent New Yorker piece on loneliness: “One tragedy of loneliness is that lonely people can’t see that lots of people feel the same way they do.”
Francesca: Lonely people can experience “touch deprivation” too. Andrew Solomon, a clinical psychology professor at Columbia, wrote about in an Opinion piece for The Times. Experts have argued that it can exacerbate depression and weaken the immune system.Francesca: Lonely people can experience “touch deprivation” too. Andrew Solomon, a clinical psychology professor at Columbia, wrote about in an Opinion piece for The Times. Experts have argued that it can exacerbate depression and weaken the immune system.
And then there’s the feeling that things are out of control — the world can’t control the virus, and we can’t control the most basic aspects of our lives. That can make people lean too hard on coping mechanisms — too much drinking, for one.And then there’s the feeling that things are out of control — the world can’t control the virus, and we can’t control the most basic aspects of our lives. That can make people lean too hard on coping mechanisms — too much drinking, for one.
Updated June 5, 2020Updated June 5, 2020
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
Corinne: I spoke recently with Nir Eyal, a productivity consultant, and he mentioned a 2006 study that found that workers in situations with high expectations, little social support and minimal control over their working conditions — basically, our lives right now — were at greater risk for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.Corinne: I spoke recently with Nir Eyal, a productivity consultant, and he mentioned a 2006 study that found that workers in situations with high expectations, little social support and minimal control over their working conditions — basically, our lives right now — were at greater risk for mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Something that does seem to offer a bit of an antidote to that is finding a routine.Something that does seem to offer a bit of an antidote to that is finding a routine.
Francesca: I agree. If uncertainty is the beast, as the Atlantic posits, then a routine, however minor, may be some small panacea. And there are other things we can do to help manage the risk, like washing hands or wearing a mask.Francesca: I agree. If uncertainty is the beast, as the Atlantic posits, then a routine, however minor, may be some small panacea. And there are other things we can do to help manage the risk, like washing hands or wearing a mask.
Corinne: Totally. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, an associate professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University, told me that people fare better when they think of their actions as conscious choices rather than circumstances thrust upon them. It’s the difference between thinking “I am stuck at home” and “I am choosing to protect my community’s health by staying at home.”Corinne: Totally. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, an associate professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University, told me that people fare better when they think of their actions as conscious choices rather than circumstances thrust upon them. It’s the difference between thinking “I am stuck at home” and “I am choosing to protect my community’s health by staying at home.”
Francesca: That’s a helpful way of framing it, and much more constructive than mulling what you’re missing, what could have been or what might have been. So, Corinne, is there anything you do to manage your stress?Francesca: That’s a helpful way of framing it, and much more constructive than mulling what you’re missing, what could have been or what might have been. So, Corinne, is there anything you do to manage your stress?
Corinne: I leave my house. On foot. Once a day. It doesn’t really matter where I go. I walk or run, I feel air on my skin, I take a break from doing and just be. You?Corinne: I leave my house. On foot. Once a day. It doesn’t really matter where I go. I walk or run, I feel air on my skin, I take a break from doing and just be. You?
Francesca: Hikes with my family. Every day. Rain or shine.Francesca: Hikes with my family. Every day. Rain or shine.
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