[ad_1]
The longer the drastic restrictions on public life continue, the stronger the calls for further relaxation of government measures to curb the crown pandemic.
Proponents of faster normalization and a return to everyday life before the virus broke out often argue that the blockage also causes considerable physical and psychological harm to the population. A verification of facts.
What indirect health effects can the Covid 19 pandemic have?
Doctors are already noticing that practice visits are on the decline. Hospitals are also less busy than usual. This is partly desired because it minimizes potential infectious contacts. However, doctors and psychologists believe that patients ignore complaints that may indicate serious illness, for fear of becoming infected with Corona when they see a doctor.
In clinics, for example, the rate of diagnosed heart attacks is currently considerably less than the long-term average. Basically, all cardiology societies report that, says Karl Stangl, head of cardiology and angiology at Charité: “Patients do not go to the clinic out of fear or because they do not understand the situation, not coughing, chest pain or lack of encouragement as a sign of heart attack consider. “
It can be assumed, however, that the slight “heart attacks” that are now “missing” in the statistics occur. This means that those affected remain completely without therapy, which means that their heart muscle usually suffers more serious damage than if the heart attack had been discovered in time. These people suffer health consequences, such as a weakened heart. “We fear that if the patients return, the strokes will be more severe because the damage has increased more than we had before Corona.”
[Verfolgen Sie alle neuen Entwicklungen zum Coronavirus in unseren Liveblogs zum Virus weltweit und zum Virus in Berlin.]
There is also the well-known phenomenon of so-called “transient ischemic attacks”. These are symptoms that are noticeable, but often don’t cause massive pain and then go away, and right now they can affect those affected less often than usual. They are often harbingers of a real massive heart attack if therapy is not started immediately. The situation could be similar for milder strokes, which can also precede a serious one.
However, there are still no official figures or even prognosis as to whether, and if so, how many people will possibly also die of heart attacks in the course of the crown crisis or later due to omitted treatments.
Does this also apply to cancer?
Cancer patients face the dilemma that the treatment of their diseases is often accompanied by a deterioration of the immune system and, therefore, an increased risk of death from a Sars-CoV-2 infection can be expected, he writes. Deborah Schrag of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University. in Boston and colleagues in the magazine “Jama”. “The extent of the risk is unknown, but initial reports suggest that the risk of death increases substantially in cancer patients, probably the highest among those over the age of 60 and those with pre-existing lung conditions.”
Avoiding clinics and practices is not wrong, on the other hand, cancer patients must adhere to their therapy plans and delays can lead to loss of life. The following generally applies with respect to the postponement of interventions or therapeutic measures: the longer a tumor surgery is expected, the worse the prognosis for the patient. Whether treatments are postponed in individual cases without increased risk also depends on the type of tumor. Postponing or shortening chemotherapy cycles is “appropriate” for treatable cancers, Schrag writes, for example, for certain types of breast cancer by eight weeks or a reduction of 12 to 6 cycles.
However, there are also cases where a brief break from therapy has consequences. The drug rituximab will be given three years after treatment for lymph gland cancer to prevent relapse.
However, the deciding factor for all therapeutic recommendations is the capacity of the health system available at that time, which makes certain treatments possible or impossible. “Balancing the value of cancer treatments with competitive risks at a time of dwindling resources will pose an increasing ethical and logistical challenge for clinical standards and humanity,” said Schrag and colleagues.
Is children’s health at risk from protective measures?
The Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ) warns parents not to neglect the controls and vaccinations necessary for children and adolescents due to the pandemic corona. “Delayed treatments and missing vaccines can be life-threatening,” the association’s statement said Monday. There were also increased reports from doctors about children who, despite visible signs of illness, would be brought to the doctor too late.
For poorer countries with less developed health systems, the World Health Organization assumes that, partly out of fear of Corona, but especially because of the now scarcer resources, massive consequences for public health are imminent. Preventive medical check-ups for children, but especially also vaccines and regular treatments for other diseases are now even more difficult to guarantee than is already the case with the distance requirement.
How does the blockage affect the psyche?
Study abroad leads to similar results. British psychiatrists recently issued an appeal to focus more on the mental consequences of the crisis. “It increases social isolation, loneliness, health problems, stress and economic problems: these are the conditions that affect mental health,” he says. Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, warns: “Recent studies show a worrying increase in anxiety and depression in the population.”
Chinese researchers have been able to analyze the psychological consequences of the complete isolation of Wuhan City in more detail after the new corona virus spread there dramatically in January. A survey of 5,000 residents found that nearly nine out of ten respondents were concerned that a family member had contracted the virus. 28 percent took at least two more hours to fall asleep. A tenth had nightmares, as many suffered from panic attacks.
A meta-study from the specialized journal “Lancet” summarizes the consequences of the quarantine measures of several studies that were carried out in the context of Sars, Ebola and swine flu. Anger and stress symptoms increased significantly. Boredom, frustration, and a sense of isolation also overwhelmed people. Immediately after the quarantine, financial concerns and stigmatization prevailed.
Do recessions and fear of existence lead to serious illness?
People are extremely stressed out of fear of losing their job and having very little money to live on. According to the research literature, if they really do not have a job or a salary, this has far-reaching consequences: those affected speak of depression and psychosomatic complaints in the form of headaches or back pain. Because too many stress hormones weaken the immune system, they are more susceptible to infection. According to a study by the Labor and Vocational Market Research Institute (IAB), 66 percent of unemployed men smoke, but only 32 percent of those who are employed. At the same time, they are often overweight and see the doctor more often.
[Wenn Sie alle aktuellen Entwicklungen zur Coronavirus-Krise live auf Ihr Handy haben wollen, empfehlen wir Ihnen unsere runderneuerte App, die Sie hier für Apple-Geräte herunterladen können und hier für Android-Geräte.]
Those who have a poorly paid job or do not have a job have a shorter life expectancy. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) evaluated the pension insurance data of 27 million German employees last year. For men between the ages of 30 and 59, they found that the death rate of the fifth who earned the most was 150 percent higher than that of the fifth who earned the most. Unemployment doubles the risk of death in this age group, the scientists wrote. The differences are not as pronounced in women.
We know from the past that an economic crisis leads to a higher number of depressions: after the 2008 financial crisis, the number of suicides increased by 3.3 percent in 54 countries around the world. This was calculated by scientists from Hong Kong and England. They added that each suicide would also generate 30 to 40 suicide attempts.
Are there also positive side effects of crown protection measures?
Social distance, which is supposed to prevent Sars-CoV-2 transmission, logically also prevents other infectious diseases transmitted through coughing or air breathing. You can already see a decrease in the number of influenza cases. In Japan, a study shows that the numbers in the 2019/2020 season decreased “significantly” compared to the 2014-2019 influenza seasons.
In view of closed brothels and extensive contact restrictions, a decrease in sexually transmitted diseases, from HIV to syphilis, is also expected. But unlike the case of influenza, the question here is whether the measures will have a recognizable effect on average throughout the year, or whether a certain “need to catch up” could even have a negative impact.
