The
corona epidemic causes psychological and behavioral problems as well as
biological effects. Contagion is not only virus, but also extreme phobic
reactions caused by social trauma, mental problems like depression, panic,
paranoia, and destructive behaviors such as selfishness, aggression and
stigmatization. People temporarily lose their moral values, such as kindness,
common sense, empathy, and solidarity, in extraordinary situations, and turn
into a selfish being that only thinks of itself. Therefore, the psychology
created by outbreaks spreads much faster than the virus and even affects people
who are not at risk of encountering the virus. In a sense, the viral pandemic
brings with it a pandemic psychology.
One
of the behaviors created by the epidemic is aggression and selfishness caused
by fear of death. The tragicomic event of a South Korean person in Konya that
is thought to be Chinese is not just an indication of ignorance but an example
of aggression caused by fear of death. The frightened and selfish person wants
to destroy the person who poses a risk for himself and to guarantee himself.
In addition, the necessity of
staying at home due to the danger of illness affects people
negatively. Social distancing comes from avoiding rechargeable people, crowds,
partly to a concert, wedding or a meeting to avoid coronavirus capture or
spread. It is not in vain to cancel the national and international meeting
meetings, to play sports matches without audience! While doing this, it is
aimed to put a certain distance between himself and others, which causes the
risk of contamination caused by droplets. It is aimed to minimize exposure to
infection or to expose others to infection. Social distancing involves leaving
appropriate gaps between co-workers in the workplace as well as staying away
from public places. When social distance is reduced to concrete, it can be
expressed as not approaching people more than a meter.Avoiding behaviors such
as handshaking, kissing and meeting anyone negatively affects social
communication. There are many relationships and friendships that ended in this
process. The value of life is better understood at such times. We take these
shares in our social behavior and we have to change. People may have a tense
attitude as the tolerance threshold is reduced.
During epidemics, patients
are a victim, but also a carrier. Efforts to control the infectious disease
outbreak can raise individual freedoms and violations of civil rights. In such
practices, it is an ethical dilemma to recognize the individual liberty area
based on basic rights, to respect his decision and to restrict his individual
liberties with measures such as isolation and quarantine in order to prevent
the spread of the disease by protecting the public interest. At this point, it
is important to have a human rights-oriented approach on a democratic ground,
and to restrict basic rights in line with the principles of necessity,
proportionality and lawfulness.
Being an unknown disease
factor, the state of being unprepared by medical authorities and the media
misleading information can magnify psychological responses. Preventive and
therapeutic strategies under fearful quarantine Medical medical disputes are
among the factors that increase fear in society. When a correct policy is not
followed in social colors, one of the consequences of fear is stigmatization.
These are the physical symptoms of the disease, as well as the emergence of
social consequences such as stigmatization in people who have the infection.
In epidemic cases, stigma may
delay patients' admission to hospitals, thus early detection and treatment, and
advance the spread of infection.
The stigma can be developed
on the ground of discrimination and racism, and can also be directed towards a
certain community or citizens of the country. For example, we have observed
that along with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), racism against the Chinese has
spread. This attitude was not limited to the Chinese, it soon became a
discrimination and exclusion against Asians in different countries. It is also
possible that this attitude becomes a tool of discrimination applied to certain
communities. Among the factors that increase stigmatization, the role of media
transfer of wrong information should not be forgotten. The fight against
epidemics cannot be separated from the fight against stigma and discrimination.
The epidemic passes and discrimination remains!
In this case, we must remain
calm and manage ourselves well.
Because social life stops completely, psychological crisis may occur.
People miss their friends and other family members, and this can lead to
emotional crises. Because we are sensitive, we can do nervous and irritable
behavior at home. We should keep our mood positive by talking about beautiful
topics and listening to relaxing music in our conversations at home.
