Doctors warn of dangers posed by social media 'news' during pandemic

23rd September 2020
Doctors  warn of dangers posed by social media 'news' during pandemic

Not just physical distance; keep safe distance from social media news in corona pandemic says doctors 
Mumbai, September 22 2020The news of the global wreckage caused by Coronavirus is getting grimmer every day. One can’t help but feel helpless. The treatment options are mainly supportive and there is no vaccine so far. Amongst the many nuisances of social media, fake news about cures, COVID being a hoax and testing for COVID being a scam have been the worst. Giving more information on this Dr Pratik Surandashe, MD Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist, Apex Group of Hospitals, Borivali, said,” Pandemics have always been a trigger for anxiety and panic. The fear of contracting the illness or losing a loved one to the illness is ever-present. People with mental health issues may become more vulnerable to develop anxiety. In this pandemic situation the public needs to more closely scrutinize and be much more sceptical about what they’re reading and hearing, particularly on social media.  Easily access to social media has made it easier to spread or even create Covid -19 false stories compared to reaching true events & news with the public. To make things worse, symptoms of few anxiety disorders coincide with respiratory illness. These are a feeling of tightness in chest, breathlessness and a sense of impending doom characteristically seen in panic disorder. To safeguard one’s mental health I would suggest some measures like believe only in information from authentic sources like WHO or your doctor, Talk and seek help about anxiety and depression from a qualified mental health professional only. Refrain from forwarding any information from dubious sources." 
We used to say in every season or any pandemic heart patient always suffer and feel insecure in this period, commenting on precaution for heart patients in corona pandemic Dr. Sanjay Tarlekar Senior Heart surgeon & Director of Shushrusha Heart Care & Multispecialty Hospital Said, “Though the unremitting stretch of coronavirus around the globe has grabbed everyone’s attention, people with heart disease need to be extra attentive as they have a greater threat of developing COVID-19. Corona virus affects the respiratory system, mainly the lungs. But it could also affect the heart, especially a diseased heart that has already been struggling to get the oxygenated blood throughout the body. So, heart patients need to take additional, reasonable precautions in order to cut down their risk. Heart patients need to keep away from false news or fake news, because it develops nervousness and fear among them. Many studies have linked heart disease and depression, but heart problems may also go hand in hand with anxiety. Several studies have shown that about a quarter of people with cardiovascular disease have some kind of anxiety problem and, in some cases, the anxiety seems to make the heart condition worse.”