For the generation shaped by coronavirus, life may never fully return to ‘normal' | Steven Taylor

I have studied the psychological effects of pandemics – and even a few weeks of isolation can cause lasting anxiety• Coronavirus latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageI knew a pandemic was coming, but I didn ’t think it would be so soon. In the weeks before the outbreak of Covid-19 began in Wuhan, I was putting the finishing touches to a book about the psychology of pandemics. In my work as a clinical psychologist, I had spent years studying past outbreaksand examining what they could teach us about the psychological effects of the next virus.Based on the hallmarks of previous pandemics, some of my predictions about coronavirus have proved eerily correct. I imagined that we ’d see growing anxiety, racism, panic-buying, the proliferation of conspiracy theories, and sporadic instances of looting and theft – but also altruism and generosity, as people reached out to the physically isolated with offers of help.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Epidemics Psychology Psychiatry Society Anxiety Mental health Post-traumatic stress disorder Research Sars Flu pandemic US news Canada Source Type: news