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An Omani study in which 1,580 citizens and residents took part shows that 30% of them, the majority being women, suffered moments of anxiety and sleep disorders related to COVID-19. In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), Dr. Hamad Nasser al-Sinawi, Senior Consultant at the Department of Behavioral Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, said, “Upon the start of the pandemic, we conducted a research that confirmed frontline operators’ exposure to psychological pressures which turned into disillusionment when the cases of infection went up. Exhaustion also had its toll on medical staff who had to continue working for longer durations due to the steady rise in cases that required medical care.”
Dr. Hamad added that depression and sleep disorders figure high among psychological impacts that show on patients of all age groups. Dr. Hamad pointed out that, at present, taking the vaccines and living with the virus (Covid-19) is one of the most efficient methods of gradual return to normal life. Some countries vaccinated a large proportion of their populations and set themselves on track for the next stage, said Dr. Hamad, noting that hesitation about taking vaccines or believing rumors circulating in social media or exaggeration of the phobia will only lead to the persistence of infection and more loss of life and money.