The Effects of COVID 19 to Mental Health: A Case Study

By Renz B. Abales

INTRODUCTION

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) have made the Philippines be in too much crisis.
Thousands of Filipino people died because of this virus which spreads in the whole wide world.
Up until now, we are still in the middle of pandemic and there are still a lot of COVID patients
trying to survive despite the painful feeling brought by the virus. It does not only affect the
health of every Filipino but also our livelihood, lifestyle, the economic state of the country, and
most especially our mental health. In this study, we selected one person who once became a
COVID patient and were given another chance to live. We are going to discussed the effects of
COVID-19 to Mental Health using a SWOT Analysis.

STRENGTH

Upon doing the interview, I therefore conclude that the patient made her family a
motivation and strength to live despite the pain she endures when she was tested positive in
COVID. When you are having a heavy problem specially when it comes to health, you indeed
have nothing to hold but only your love ones and the hope that you will survive all the pain and
you will see them once again someday with a new life and new beginnings. Another one is
music. According to her, she really loves music and it helps her mind to refreshen up and think
of positive things to help mind. Above everything, the faith she has to God that made her
stronger. The interview finds out that this person was also diagnosed to depression but she
managed to survived because she believed that her family might not be there to look after her but
God is always with her to make sure that she won’t give up.

WEAKNESS

When she was tested positive, the symptoms she felt and experienced were fever, a
severe cough, headache, and loss of smell and taste. It was really the hardest times of her because
she cannot eat anything because it does not have any smell its like you feeling something putting
in your mouth but doesn’t know what kind of thing it is. Everything made her loss her appetite
but she needs to eat for her to gain strength. There are also times where her anxiety would
worsen and she cannot control herself to think straight. She was so devastated that there’s this
one time she just wants to give up because she couldn’t take all the pain anymore. She cannot
breathe properly; she feels like her head will explode anytime because of too much pain. She
indeed endures a lot of things during those times and worst part is, she was just in the four
cornered room all by herself and feels hell.

OPPORTUNITY

When she heard the doctor said she is safe now from COVID and she is already negative,
the first thing that came into her mind is new life and a new beginning. She took everything she
experienced inside that room as an opportunity to start a new life and that she can share it with
everyone especially to those people who already lose their hope and that nothing is impossible if
you believe in God. It became an opportunity since of all a billion patient in the world, she had a
doctor and nurses that look out on her. Lastly and most especially, her relationship with God
strengthens.

THREATS

The threats that she had experienced are the pain she had to endure to win against the
virus. The thought that her neighbors are already judging her. The thought that while she is in the
hospital, fighter for her life, her family is already experiencing this what we called
discrimination. Lastly, when she went out of the hospital, her social life changed.