Pandemic fatigue

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Crowds that go against the advice of health officials can be seen during pandemic fatigue. Here, shoppers visit a shopping district in Tokyo despite a stay-at-home advisory during the official lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kichijoji Sun Road shopping street with stay-at-home advisory.jpg
Crowds that go against the advice of health officials can be seen during pandemic fatigue. Here, shoppers visit a shopping district in Tokyo despite a stay-at-home advisory during the official lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic fatigue is understood as a natural and expected reaction to sustained and unresolved adversity [1] in people's everyday life. Those affected show symptoms of feeling burnt out and tired, while also expressing feelings of demotivation to engage in protection behaviors and seek COVID-19 related information as complacency, alienation and hopelessness. [2]

Contents

Social norms

Social norms can have an effect on pandemic fatigue. [3] [ better source needed ]

During the official lockdown periods of the COVID 19 pandemic people became a lot more stressed because they couldn't leave their homes. Not being able to physically see their family and friends, made people become lonely and depressed. Numerous couples that were living together broke up and married couples separated and filed for divorce. "During the pandemic interest in divorces skyrocketed 34% in the U.S." "Newly married couples were the most likely to file for divorce." Towards the end of the 2021 people slowly started to go out and enjoy themselves again. While interacting people weren't hugging right away or shaking people's hands. [4] Everyone had to practice social distancing, social distancing was new for everyone and definitely an adjustment.

Political distrust

Political distrust can have an effect on pandemic fatigue as well. "Crisis fatigue" is the idea the public has become immune to warnings from politicians and distrustful of their claims. [5] The public has been exposed to several crises in the past two decades, including SARS in 2003, bird flu in 2005, swine flu in 2009, MERS in 2012, Ebola in 2014 and currently COVID-19 in 2020–2022. [6] [ original research? ] Because of this, some people find it hard to trust political officials and their suggestions on how to treat and manage COVID-19. [7] [ failed verification ] This makes people tired and hence, leads to increased number of cases.

Response

Epidemiologist Julia Marcus wrote that indefinite abstention from all social contact was not a sustainable way to contain a pandemic. Drawing from lessons in HIV prevention, she advised a principle of harm reduction rather than an "all-or-nothing approach" in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. [8]

Lockdowns

With many countries having a rise in new cases from Variants of SARS-CoV-2, more waves of lockdowns have been put in effect. Countries like the UK have been put back into COVID-19 lockdowns and due to this, many citizens there have been in this state of fatigue and exhaustion. Studies show that people are finding it harder to stay positive, with 60% of citizens in the UK saying they are finding it harder to stay positive daily compared to before the pandemic – an 8-point increase. [9]

Coping methods

One of the major ways with coping with pandemic fatigue is limiting the amount of time you spend on your device. Most common during the COVID 19 pandemic was [10] Doomscrolling, or purposely tuning in to negative stories on TV or on social media, fuels increased dread, uncertainty, anxiety, and fatigue." [11] Another method he found to be very useful in his studies was being active. "If you make movement a priority, you will find a way to make it happen. Prioritizing time to exercise and meditate by putting it in your schedule and protecting that time is going to make a huge difference in your mental health". Other forms of coping include meditation and finding time for yourself to reflect.

COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 fatigue is the state of being worn out about the precautionary measures and the threat of COVID-19. Anxiety from the threat of losing economic security and catching the disease both play a part in the feeling of fatigue in people. COVID-19 fatigue has caused people to not follow precautionary guidelines, increasing their risk of catching the virus. [12] Many people are tired of the lockdowns, and not having a normal routine. [13] [14] Higher levels of alcohol and drug use also contribute to the feeling of tiredness. [15]

As lockdowns were lifted in many parts of the world, some people started to ignore stay-at-home orders. People went to bars and restaurants, ultimately causing the disease to spread faster. [16]

In a 29 November 2022 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) article, researchers correlated pandemic fatigue with indicators of discontent experienced by individuals including, "opposition to COVID-19 restrictions", "protesting over restrictions", "belief in COVID-19 conspiracies", "concern about democratic rights", "government distrust", and "support for strong leaders". [17]

Zoom fatigue

Zoom fatigue is described as tiredness, anxiety, or worry resulting from overusing virtual videoconferencing platforms. [18] Evidence suggests that being on Zoom calls limits the amount of nonverbal cues our brains pick up in face-to-face interactions. The lack of these cues causes our brains to subconsciously exert more energy, making us feel more irritable and exhausted after video calls are over. Other issues of Zoom include the fact that we are staring at a screen with peoples faces a couple feet away. This leads to a sense of danger and although our body knows we are in a safe place, our mind is on high alert. [18] Virtual Reality allows for "avatars" to interact with each other and gives the user the sensation that they are actually there, while still maintaining safe distances during lockdowns.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

Psychological resilience, or mental resilience, is the ability to cope mentally and emotionally with a crisis, or to return to pre-crisis status quickly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic</span> Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Soon after, it spread to other areas of Asia, and then worldwide in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and assessed the outbreak as having become a pandemic on 11 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media</span>

Social media became an important platform for interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with the onset of social distancing. According to a study conducted by Facebook's analytics department, messaging rates rose by over 50% during this period. Individuals confined to their homes utilized social media not only to maintain social connections but also as a source of entertainment to alleviate boredom. Concerns arose regarding the overreliance on social media for primary social interactions, particularly given the constraints imposed by the pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Psychological aspect of viral outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people across the globe. The pandemic has caused widespread anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. According to the UN health agency WHO, in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevalence of common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, went up by more than 25 percent.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the LGBT community</span> Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ community

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities experienced by marginalized populations, and has had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Pride events were cancelled or postponed worldwide. More than 220 gay pride celebrations around the world were canceled or postponed in 2020, and in response a Global Pride event was hosted online. LGBTQ+ people also tend to be more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or obesity, that would worsen their chances of survival if they became infected with COVID-19. They are also more likely to smoke.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare workers physically and psychologically. Healthcare workers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection than the general population due to frequent contact with positive COVID-19 patients. Healthcare workers have been required to work under stressful conditions without proper protective equipment, and make difficult decisions involving ethical implications. Health and social systems across the globe are struggling to cope. The situation is especially challenging in humanitarian, fragile and low-income country contexts, where health and social systems are already weak. Services to provide sexual and reproductive health care risk being sidelined, which will lead to higher maternal mortality and morbidity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on other health issues</span> Health consequences of outbreak beyond the COVID-19 disease itself

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many impacts on global health beyond those caused by the COVID-19 disease itself. It has led to a reduction in hospital visits for other reasons. There have been 38 per cent fewer hospital visits for heart attack symptoms in the United States and 40 per cent fewer in Spain. The head of cardiology at the University of Arizona said, "My worry is some of these people are dying at home because they're too scared to go to the hospital." There is also concern that people with strokes and appendicitis are not seeking timely treatment. Shortages of medical supplies have impacted people with various conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children</span>

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Can You Hear Me? (<i>Doctors</i>) 2020 episode of Doctors

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States</span> Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has had far-reaching consequences in the country that go beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it, including political, cultural, and social implications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of the COVID-19 pandemic</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in popular culture</span> References to the COVID-19 pandemic in popular culture

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Rehabilitation after COVID-19 is needed in individuals experiencing longer-term disabling illness at any stage of COVID-19 infection. The rehabilitation of individuals with COVID-19 includes screening for the need for rehabilitation, participation of a multi-disciplinary team to evaluate and manage the individual's disabilities, use of four evidence based classes for rehabilitation, as well as individualised interventions for other problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoom fatigue</span> Burnout associated with overuse of virtual platforms

Zoom fatigue is tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with the overuse of online platforms of communication, particularly videotelephony. The name derives from the cloud-based videoconferencing and online chat software Zoom, but the term can be used to refer to fatigue from other video conferencing platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media fatigue</span>

Media fatigue is psychological exhaustion due to information overload from any form of information media, usually news and social media. The advent of the Internet has contributed widely to media fatigue with vast amounts of information easily accessible and easily disseminated. Psychological exhaustion caused by media fatigue can lead to several harms, including emotional instability, increased stress, feeling overwhelmed, or experiencing sensory overload. Media fatigue can then lead to media avoidance, or intentional selectivity in the type and amount of media used.

References

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  2. Masten, Ann S.; Cicchetti, Dante (10 February 2016), Cicchetti, Dante (ed.), "Resilience in Development: Progress and Transformation", Developmental Psychopathology, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 1–63, doi:10.1002/9781119125556.devpsy406, ISBN   978-1-119-12555-6 , retrieved 6 December 2022
  3. Maddock, Jay (12 November 2020). "Has pandemic fatigue set in? Here's why you might have it". CNN. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. Brock, Melissa (23 September 2021). "The Pandemic Induced Higher Divorce Rates. Here's What it Can Do to Your Finances". Yahoo Finance.
  5. "Coronavirus and the politics of crisis fatigue | The Conversation". 25 March 2020.
  6. "WHO | Disease outbreaks by year". WHO. Archived from the original on 17 January 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  7. Kriner, Sarah Kreps and Douglas L. (30 October 2020). "Will Americans trust a COVID-19 vaccine? Not if politicians tell them to". Brookings. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  8. Marcus, Julia (11 May 2020). "Quarantine Fatigue Is Real". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  9. "'Pandemic burnout' on rise as latest Covid lockdowns take toll". The Guardian. 5 February 2021.
  10. Ross, Justin (30 October 2020). "Are you feeling exhausted, anxious or sad? 5 tips for handling 'pandemic fatigue.'". UCHealth.org. Katie Kerwin McCrimmon.
  11. "Are you feeling exhausted, anxious or sad? 5 tips for handling 'pandemic fatigue.' | uchealth". 30 October 2020.
  12. "'COVID Fatigue' and How to Fight It | AMITA Health Blog". www.amitahealth.org. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  13. Koplon, Savannah. "How to overcome COVID-19 fatigue". UAB News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  14. Marketing, UC Davis Health, Public Affairs and. ""COVID fatigue" is hitting hard. Fighting it is hard, too, says UC Davis Health psychologist". health.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 25 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. Authority, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. "Managing COVID Fatigue is Crucial to Our Health and Wellbeing During the Pandemic". UW Health. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  16. "How to fight 'Covid fatigue' as America heads for a deadly winter". The Guardian. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  17. Jørgensen, Frederik; Bor, Alexander; Rasmussen, Magnus Storm; Lindholt, Marie Fly; Petersen, Michael Bang (29 November 2022). "Pandemic fatigue fueled political discontent during the COVID-19 pandemic". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (48): –2201266119. Bibcode:2022PNAS..11901266J. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2201266119 . PMC   9860270 . PMID   36413499. via Wikipedia Library
  18. 1 2 Wiederhold, Brenda K. (18 June 2020). "Connecting Through Technology During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Avoiding "Zoom Fatigue" | Cyberpsychology". Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 23 (7): 437–438. doi:10.1089/cyber.2020.29188.bkw. PMID   32551981. S2CID   219920279.