Feeling stressed about the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Your program is here to help.
B-F1194 (3/20) ©2020 Magellan Health, Inc. MagellanAscend.com
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads, and the media coverage continues to escalate, many
people are anxious about the uncertainty of what is happening. You may be wondering if the virus
will come to your community, how you can protect yourself and your family and how to prepare if
the situation disrupts the normal course of daily life.
It is normal to feel anxious, unsettled, distracted, scared
and/or overwhelmed by COVID-19. We don’t know where
it may spread. However, some people may be more
vulnerable if they already have a health or generalized
anxiety disorder. In either case, feeling stressed can
aect your immune system and increase the risk of
getting ill in general. That is why it is important to take
steps to manage your anxiety and how you react to the
situation, so you can keep yourself as safe as possible.
Here are a few things you can do to help yourself during
the situation:
1. Seek health information from trusted resources like
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(CDC), The World Health Organization and your state
health department website.
2. Plan ahead to feel more in control. Go food shopping
and make contingency plans for work, childcare or
travel if they become necessary.
3. Take good care of yourself. Wash your hands often,
get plenty of rest, exercise, eat well, don’t smoke and
limit how much alcohol you drink.
4. Put things into perspective. Most people who contract
COVID-19 recover. Those who are at the greatest risk
are seniors and people with existing health conditions.
The virus is highly contagious and there is no known
treatment yet, but public health ocials are working to
limit and contain the spread of it.
5. Stay informed, but don’t overdo it. The industry
sometimes uses panic-inducing headlines that don’t
fully reect a situation. If you do consume media, do
so thoughtfully and with a critical eye.
If you nd that you are having diculty managing stress,
help is available. If a household member is hypervigilant,
obsessively reading about the crisis and worrying about
the eects, remember you can call your program. We are
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long.
Contact us and you can speak with a clinical professional.
All services are free and condential.
You can access your program website for ongoing
information on how to maintain mental wellness
during this outbreak. You can also engage with our
Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy apps, including
FearFighter
®
for anxiety, panic and phobia, and
MoodCalmer
®
for depression.
Magellan Healthcare is here to provide you with
compassionate and caring support and help you build
your resilience so you can move forward with peace
of mind.
