Letters | Why coronavirus outbreak is a threat to both body and mind

With the novel coronavirus creating an increasing amount of fear and anxiety in Hong Kong, it is more important than ever for everyone to not neglect their mental well-being.

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, Hong Kong unfortunately experienced a sharp increase in mental health diagnoses and in the number of suicides.

With work-from-home policies in place, and schools and universities shut until March, isolation and loneliness are of utmost concern. We all have an inherent need to connect with each other and loneliness is a powerful indicator of poor mental well-being.

Human beings do not like uncertainty – it is not possible to choose to “not worry” about the situation, nor is it right to tell people to do so. However, amid the race to understand the virus, fearmongering messages in the media, memories of Sars, and already low levels of mental well-being from months of social unrest, our community is facing a heightened level of anxiety.