Fear sparks breathlessness in Covid survivors -The problem occurs when the person is at home, and not while cycling or walking briskly

 The anxiety or trauma is not limited to the survivors but even to those who continuously fear getting infected by the coronavirus

Kinsuk Basu   |   TT  |   Calcutta   |   02.11.20  : A sizable number of people who have recovered from Covid-19 are suffering from breathlessness, which mental health experts said was resulting from anxiety and fear of contracting the coronavirus again.

Psychiatrists who have been counselling these Covid survivors say the anxiety is so severe that it is manifesting as breathlessness in most of the callers, who are seeking consultation after cardiologists and others have ruled out any problem in their heart or lungs.

“The problem of breathlessness will not be there when the person, say, is either cycling or walking briskly. It occurs when he or she is sitting at home,” said Sujit Sarkhel, a senior psychiatrist who is leading a team of counsellors on behalf of Covid Care Network, an organisation of health officials, doctors and those who have recovered from the coronavirus disease.

“It is the recall of the pain a patient had undergone when he or she had contracted the coronavirus that is causing this anxiety.”

The Covid Care Network has tied up with the Calcutta Municipal Corporation to offer free consultation on psychological issues to Covid patients or those who have recovered from the disease over the phone every day between noon and 6pm.

The toll free number is 1800 889 1819.

Doctors receiving such calls said that in most cases the sense of breathlessness was not related to exhaustion as several pulmonary checks would reveal. They neither have any patch of infection in their lungs nor suffer from any fall in the oxygen saturation level but still complain of breathlessness. 

“This post-Covid anxiety was manifesting not only in elderly people but even among those in the age group of 30 to 40 years,” said a member of the team. “The difference between actually feeling short of breath and fearing breathlessness is lost among many of the survivors because of the anxiety that has its roots in the first bout of infection.”

A team of at least 20 psychologists and six psychiatrists, who have volunteered to work for the Covid Care Network, have been receiving calls in batches since mid-September.

The anxiety or trauma is not limited to the survivors but even to those who continuously fear getting infected by the coronavirus.

There have been calls from family members complaining about how a survivor or someone staying close to him or her has been resorting to washing hands almost every minute or undergoing sanitisation in quick succession, some counsellors said.

“There are callers who would complain about losing sleep because his next-door neighbour has tested positive,” Sarkhel said. “The anxiety from anticipating the infection and its consequences is very deep and has resulted in severe mental distress among some.”

Experts said people undergoing panic attacks should not shy away from consulting doctors or seeking counselling because the experience can be terrifying for the person.

Some callers ask for suggestions like whether to go for an immediate test if a family member has tested positive. Some others - those who have lost a family member to Covid-19 and have not been able to complete all rituals to their satisfaction - would want to discuss their pain with doctors. "Unresolved grief can give rise to a lot of psychological problems," said a member of the team.