A mental health advocacy group says its helpline is getting more and more calls about COVID-19. People who catch the virus often feel anxious, and sometimes guilty as well. Mental health experts say that finding ways to soothe and calm yourself is important. That lets your body recover as best as it can. We heard from several people who had the virus, or were in close contact with a patient, to find out how they managed the stress.

With COVID spreading, more and more people are catching the virus. But the psychological stress of getting COVID is often overlooked. Mental health advocacy organization Teacher Chang invited three patients and close contacts of patients to share what’s on their minds. For many, the thought of passing COVID on to loved ones is the biggest stress.

Su Nung
COVID-19 patient
I think the saddest thing was when my dad said he’d started having some of the same symptoms as me, like a sore throat. It was so bad I had a raspy voice, could hardly talk. I felt so guilty, because my dad has diabetes, and it can cause complications. It seems kind of hard to imagine.

Voice of Hsiao-ping
COVID-19 patient
When I spoke to the doctor, they really emphasized that if I start feeling really unwell, I should call an ambulance ASAP. I was really stressing out about whether I should call an ambulance. I was scared to tell my family. If I’d told my mom straight away, she might have rushed into my self-isolation room to try and take care of me.

Many COVID patients feel guilty. There are reports of people in Taipei being afraid to tell their landlords they caught COVID-19, for fear of being summarily evicted. The helpline run by Teacher Chang has had 50 calls about COVID-19 since the outbreak took a turn for the worse this month. Seventy percent of those callers said they were feeling anxious.

Voice of Yen-tzu
Contact of COVID-19 patient
When I first heard I had a close contact who had COVID-19, I felt quite anxious, and quite panicky for a moment. Then I calmed myself down a bit, and only when I felt calmer did I start thinking about what to do.

People who’ve been through COVID recommend that you prioritize staying calm, and say no to catastrophizing thoughts. If you have a run-in with the virus, find ways to soothe yourself and take it easy.