Covid-19 is a SARS related virus, with the exact origins believed to have originated in China, according to World Health Organisation and it’s closest known relative was found there in 2013, when scientists went to an abandoned mine to investigate the correlation between sudden respiratory illness and deaths.
Death’s from Covid-19 were first identified in Wuhan province, in November 2019 and in January 2020, the first recorded coronavirus case in the UK occurred in York.
Then on March 23, 2020, the UK was placed in a nationwide lockdown, to limit the spread of the virus and with this decision, the country was urged to stay at home, avoid contact with other’s and only leave your household for essentials.
With this verdict, everyone’s way of life was put on hold and in particular, psychiatrist sessions for young people diminished drastically, from an average of 40 daily meetings to just 4, according to the Royal College at Psychiatry.
At one time or another, all of us will have experienced feeling low, whether it be due to stress, relationship or family troubles, financial hardships or something completely different — and Covid-19 has only added to these worries.
George Stilwell, 20, a young farmer in the agriculture industry was recently diagnosed with depression and has been given anti-depressants to combat this, whilst during the current global pandemic.
George was open and admitted that Covid-19 has had a negative and stressful impact on his mental health, stating “being trapped indoors, surrounded by the same walls makes you feel isolated”.
The young farmer continued and believes that his industry was one of the few ways of life that were hardly affected by the virus, because “most of the time, you work alone and therefore the chance of catching and spreading it at work is reduced”.
George admits that he isn’t feeling his best, but is thankful he reached and sought help when he did and urges anyone who has seen their mental well-being interrupted by the pandemic,
“Not to try and face it alone, speak it people — there are always people who care about you”.
Joe Ainsley, 19, has had a distressing year, which involves ending a relationship with his partner, having his grandad rushed into hospital and not being able to see friends, all while Covid-19 was progressing across the globe and this lead to Joe feeling “at an all time low”.
Joe was unable to get help from his GP physically, due to the sheer number of demands for physical appointments and the NHS being overwhelmed.
But he was able to speak to his GP online and he instructed him to “keep digging away, spend time with your loved if you’re able and keep yourself occupied”- and now Joe feels a lot better.
Joe continued and admitted it was difficult suffering alone, but urges anyone who is feeling alone to remember,
“That there are people who will drop everything to make sure you’re okay and friends and family are always there for you”
Male suicide rates in England and Wales entered a two-decade high, according to the Office for National Statistics, with the figure reaching 16.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
ONS said that men accounted for 75% of suicide deaths registered in 2019, 4,303 compared to 1,388 for women last year.
Additionally, the statistics show that males with the highest suicide rate was 45–49 years — 25.5 deaths per 100,000 — meanwhile females with the highest suicide rate was 50–54 years — 7.4 deaths per 100,000.
Provisional data also showed that there were 6.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people in England, between April and June, the peak of the first wave of Covid-19, but ONS admitted that this may not be correct, as inquests were delayed astronomically due to the pandemic.
Adrian James, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, believes it is essential to identify the most at risk people and to ensure care and support is available to them,
“The current pandemic and its impact on people’s mental health reinforces the need for substantial and sustained government funding to ensure that there is a mental health system where no one, including those at risk of suicide, is unable to access the care they need.”
Robert Hooper, 60, Civil Enforcement Officer and Unite Workplace Representative at Portsmouth City Council explains that since the outbreak of Covid-19, the local council has followed central government guidelines and furloughed many of their employees, including himself.
He continues and reveals that there has been “considerable anxiety amongst the workplace and my colleagues” as some have had to shield, as they have vulnerable relatives and young children.
Covid-19 has caused an increase in the workload prior to the pandemic and employees concerns who have experienced anxious and depressive thoughts, have relayed these onto Robert.
He highlights that one employee has been signed off by their GP with “anxiety and depression, as a result directly of the current pandemic”.
Overall, it is clear that as a society, our mental health has been affected in a negative manner due to the pandemic and although the numbers from April to June are low, they are not entirely accurate.
If anyone does feel at a low point and do not know what to do, talk to your GP, friend’s, family and your workplace, as no one wants you to do something that’s irreversible.
Also, the Samaritans are on call 24/7 each day, everyday, to make sure you have support when you need it most.
