The current coronavirus outbreak, which began in the Chinese province of Hubei’s metropolis of Wuhan, soon expanded to several nations, infecting millions of individuals around the world. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic. Infectious disease outbreaks, as well as other serious public health crises, frequently produced widespread discomfort and worry among the general people, owing to the uncertainty they brought abrupt and radical changes in daily life.
The rising number of suspected and confirmed cases, as well as the regular recording of SARS-CoV-2-related deaths in numerous countries, produced an atmosphere of extreme dread and worry due to the very real risk of infection and disease manifestation. During a pandemic, there are three types of dangers to consider: (a) health, (b) financial ramifications, and (c) education. Apart from the risk of serious disease and possible death from the COVID-19 infection, the new pandemic has exposed a substantial segment of the world population to an unprecedented, often intolerable mental strain, leading to panic attacks, stress disorders, and feelings of sadness.
The announcement of the novel coronavirus’s human-to-human transmissibility, the ease of transmission even by asymptomatic carriers, the ambiguity surrounding the quarantine’s overall duration, the pandemic itself, the vulnerability of a wide age range, as well as the relatively high rate of mortality even in patients with no underlying problems or advanced age, have all instilled panic in the majority of people, who, in addition to their own health, appear to be deeply concerned for their loved ones. Pandemics of infectious diseases are characterized by the anxiety they can inspire in broad segments of the population, fear that can cause high levels of emotional discomfort in healthy people and induce clinical stress disorder symptoms in the mentally weak. Furthermore, the manifestation of symptoms of infection with the new coronavirus has been linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression, as well as a lower quality of life, all of which have an impact on health, which is defined as “a state of complete physical, emotional, and social well-being, rather than simply the absence of illness or disability.”
The situation is exacerbated by the international promotion of social distancing techniques, which result in a significant loss in close communication. People are told to stay at home and do as little as possible outside of their homes. Individuals who show symptoms of the disease or come into contact with an infected person are also need to follow the appropriate isolation protocol, which makes them more emotionally sensitive. Indeed, stress disorders are more prone to develop and worsen in situations where there is little or no natural human contact. Misinformation, misconceptions, and conspiracy theories about SARS-CoV-2 that circulate seem to exacerbate emotional suffering by reinforcing a sense of loss of control and suspicion of the authorities. The problem is aggravated by a barrage of media coverage on the subject, as well as regular strong allusions to a lack of resources, suitable infrastructure, and medical personnel, all of which contribute to the exacerbation of despair.
A number of international studies have been done to investigate the emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health workers and vulnerable population groups in general. However, there has been no research on the emotional impact on students and teachers, despite the fact that similar public health crises can have a variety of psychological effects on all participants in the learning process, the most prominent of which are feelings of fear, alarm, stress, and depression.
As a school administrator, I believe there should be preliminary assessment on the emotional impact of the new COVID-19 pandemic on secondary school teachers, who, in addition to the general burden, are forced to leave their teaching duties and adapt to new conditions of abrupt distance learning implementation with little preparation and limited resources.
By: Maria Teresa De Jesus – Lumibao| Principal I| Sergia Soriano Esteban Integrated School II|Olongapo City
