Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID he told CBS News Thursday he is “very” concerned about a post-COVID mental health pandemic.
Why it’s important: Three out of four adults in the U.S. reported a high level of pandemic-related stress, while one in four essential workers has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder since the onset of the crisis. public health, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) conducted in late February.
- Two out of three Americans said they slept “more or less than they wanted since the pandemic began,” while nearly one in four reported drinking more alcohol to cope with stress.
- Black Americans are likely to report “feelings of concern for the future” by APA.
What it says: “This is why I want to leave behind the virological aspect of this pandemic because the long-term havoc is very multifaceted,” Fauci said when asked if he was concerned about a post-COVID pandemic in mental health. .
- Fauci said these “havoc” included the economic and mental health effects, as well as the “prolonged symptomatology” that some people who have had COVID-19 continue to experience.
- He also said he hopes the United States doesn’t see an increase “in some preventable situations” because many people have “postponed the types of routine medical exams they would normally have done.”
Methodologies: The March 2021 APA Stress in America survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll between February 19 and 24 on 3,013 adults over the age of 18 residing in the US. The interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.