4 minute read
Health & Wellbeing
Covid Anxiety Syndrome
So, the roadmap out of lockdown is well underway and so long as these new variants are kept under control, we should be back to close normality by the middle of summer.
Simon Garcia
owner of
Freedom Wellbeing Inc
With the impending return to office life on the horizon, workers will be encouraged to leave their homeworking ‘safe space’ to now mingle once again with multiple people, through the commute to and from work, actually being at work, then you’ve also got the lunchtime periods where everyone is queuing for their sandwich and coffee. Now, some people will be really eager to get out of the house and work away from the home again. Others, happy to do it, but don’t mind either way. Then you have one more group of people. Those with Covid Anxiety Syndrome!
So, what is Covid Anxiety Syndrome?
Nearly a year and a half has passed since SARS-CoV-2 reared its ugly head and began to spread across the world. Its appearance first caused mild concern, with it being compared to the flu, soon turned into serious worry as more people received a diagnosis of COVID-19. In the beginning, everyone, including the scientists looking into it, knew very little about this novel virus and the disease it caused. The unknowns and the virus’s remarkably rapid spread incited fear among health professionals, scientists, and the public. At the time of writing this (beginning of June) There have been close to 4.5 million registered covid cases in the United Kingdom alone. Those figures understandably are enough to spark worry in anyone. However, then you look at the number of those that have made a full recovery, almost 4.3 million and that should help ease some of those fears. Professors Ana Nikčević from Kingston University of London and Marcantonio Spada from London South Bank University, developed the concept of COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. You can view their full study at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC7375349/ Symptoms of this syndrome mimic those of other mental health conditions, including anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). And, the pandemic and related factors appear to be the cause. Signs of the condition include; • Worrying about getting on public transport • Feeling stressed at the thought of being in the office with others • General concerns about leaving the house Personally, I can see this potentially being the next big challenge for businesses over the next 12 months and below I will give some guidance for both employers and employees on how to manage the condition going forward. Obviously, it is a fairly new condition and as such, there will be varying degrees on the spectrum of the condition, but this should be a good grounding for working through it.
Advice for Employees
• Communicate your anxiety issues early with your Line Manager. Outline what your concerns are for full transparency.
• Where possible, plan your commute outside traditionally busy periods. Be sure to clear this with management, as it will impact your working pattern.
• Do not rely on mainstream media news for your information on the pandemic. Think of the news as any other TV show. They need ratings, therefore, they need Hook you in to watch tomorrow.
Do independent research and use government, NHS and health authority websites for factual updates.
• Above all else, trust your instincts. Some people will inevitably shrug their shoulders at your condition, but focus on what’s best for you. If you don’t feel up to going to the office, work from home for a few more days until you’re ready.
• Take baby steps. Maybe try a short train to test out how it feels. Ask if you can begin with a part-time return to the office. Mornings there, afternoons from home.
Advice for Employers
• Be on top of the relevant information and updates relating to the pandemic. Make this
Information readily available, update your internal intranet, send out weekly comms, etc.
• Have a strategy in place in advance, so you are prepared for any requests that my come in.
Communicate what your return to work strategy is.
• If you have an occupational health provider, seek their guidance and ask what they offer in way of support through EAP (Employee Assist
Programme) counselling.
• Line Managers could raise the topic semifrequently in team meetings and encourage people to approach on a one-to-one basis so they can discuss any concerns early on.
