The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

He also noted that studies revealed that negative mental health can make individuals vulnerable to viruses and weaken the body’s long-term immunity, and chronic negative mental health can increase cortisone levels, which will make people vulnerable to viruses, including influenza.

Al Hammadi then pointed out that continuous psychological pressure may expose individuals to cardiac diseases, stomach ulcers, tumours and psoriasis. Therefore, individuals should take care of their mental health and their surroundings, he added, stressing that fake news and rumours may increase the state of panic in the community.

Al Hammadi highlighted the importance of talking to children about the pandemic honestly and listening to their concerns and handling them correctly, stressing that they should talk to them about ways of preventing the spread of the virus. He also noted the importance of protecting people who are suffering from mental illness, such as depression and insomnia, as well as supporting those in quarantine who contracted the virus, through remote communication.

Al Hammadi said that nice words have a positive effect on everyone while pessimism and negative words may lead to negative implications.

WAM