COVID-19 PATIENTS LIVED EXPERIENCES AND STRESS IN GENERAL POPULATION

COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a disaster for human beings. Governments around the world have been preparing to deal with this medical emergency that is associated with a mortality rate of about 5%. It has been observed that many patients with COVID-19 infection have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. COVID-19 infected individuals are kept in isolation wards because of the risk of infecting others. Patients with COVID-19 infection experience mental distress due to the isolation, the fear of death, and the stigma associated with it. Monitoring and overseeing population mental health during a crisis such as a pandemic is therefore of utmost importance.