COVID-19 has affected all students in many ways. When we think about the issues that this pandemic is causing, our minds don’t automatically go to mental health. We think about the money that we lost, the activities we can no longer participate in, and the schools we can’t attend anymore. Even though the emergency funding and the stimulus check helped some students with financial issues, money can’t fix all problems.
Danielle Stroud, a student at SFCC who received emergency funding and the stimulus check is still behind on bills.
“The stimulus check, well it will only cover my rent for March and April for which I have not paid. It does not cover May. The order will be lifted soon, and I am still behind,” said Stroud.
It is obvious some students feel like they are being cheated out of getting proper in-person class time. However, students should be grateful that their suffering is due to having to participate in online classes and having overdue bills rather than suffering the loss of a loved one due to a deadly virus.
Coronavirus has infected 4.44 million people worldwide. Out of those 4.44 million people, 1.59 million have recovered while 302,000 have tragically lost their fight against the virus. Out of those 302,000 people, 25 were children.
Skylar Herbert, the daughter of Detroit first-responders, died from coronavirus complications on April 19. She is the first Michigan child to die of COVID-19. Herbert was only 5 years old.
“She loved putting on dresses, (and), of course, playing in mommy’s makeup.” said LaVondria Herbert, Skylar’s mother stated in an interview with WDIV 4.
“I cry all day, I cry all night, I cry in my sleep. My baby loved teddy bears,” LaVondria Herbert said. “I slept with the teddy bears that she slept with at the hospital. I just hold on to them.”
Complications of the coronavirus include acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute liver injury.
A new and mysterious virus called pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome is thought to be linked to coronavirus. A patient at Seattle Children’s hospital had pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which means that at one point the child contracted COVID-19.
Symptoms of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome mimic the symptoms of Kawasaki disease, a rare disease that causes swollen hands or feet, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, conjunctivitis, fever and swollen lips.
This pandemic is not only taking an emotional toll on those who have contracted COVID-19 or those who have lost a loved one due to the virus, health workers are also experiencing difficulties with their mental health.
Mental distress is one of the many outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic. Right now, mental distress is mostly common among health care workers and children. Before the pandemic occurred, mental health statistics were striking.
According to a United Nations policy briefing, before COVID-19 appeared, the global economy lost more than $1 trillion per year due to depression and anxiety. Depression affects 264 million people in the world, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death in young people ages 15-29. Around half of all mental conditions start by age 14.
People with severe mental conditions die 10-20 years earlier, despite this, fewer than half of countries report having their mental health policies aligned with human rights conventions. In low- and middle-income countries, between 76% and 85% of people with mental health conditions receive no treatment for their condition, despite the evidence that effective interventions can be delivered in any resource context.
Globally there is less than 1 mental health professional for every 10,000 people, and human rights violations against people with severe mental health conditions are widespread in all countries of the world.
Coping with stress during the outbreak by The World Health Organization
As stated by the American Psychiatric Association, 48% of Americans are anxious about possibly contracting coronavirus. Four in 10 (40%) Americans are anxious about succumbing to coronavirus. Over half of Americans (62%) are anxious about their loved ones contracting coronavirus. Over one third (36%) of Americans feel like the pandemic is affecting their mental wellbeing.
Before the spread of the virus in China, the demand of mental health reinforcement was “huge”
as stated by the United Nations, Dr Fahmy Hanna, Technical Officer, Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at WHO.
Yemen is also suffering greatly due to the lack of mental health professionals. As of now, 7 million people in Yemen do not have access to mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Nations calls for all governments to include mental health services in their COVID-19 procedures.
Although these times are hard, we should all be grateful that the Community Colleges of Spokane provides us with the tools that we need to get through this difficult time.
Skitch’s food bank located at SFCC has been assisting students in getting proper nutrition during this pandemic.
“Skitch’s food bank and the SFCC mental health counselor have been more essential to me than the emergency fund,” Stroud said.
If you are alive and in good health, this should not be an era wasted by sulking and wallowing in your grievances about situations (graduations, online classes, etc) that are out of your control.
“I think it’s important to keep people’s spirit alive. I also think it’s important to not give false hope,” Stroud said.