DocTalk Podcast: The Psychological Damage of the COVID-19 Pandemic

With more and more states relaxing some of the lock down measures put in place during the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, what will the “new normal” look like and how will the public psychologically handle the phased reopening?

Many people across the country, particularly in the densely populated cities in the Northeast and California, public appearances have been few and far between, mainly limited to grocery stores and other essential places.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Mark Smith, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of VistaGen, talked about the anxiousness individuals will feel as they begin to regain some of form of normalcy.

This normalcy also includes maintaining regularly medical appointments that have largely been put on hold for the last few months. Smith said measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of patients despite the growing COVID-19 threat.

While Smith is hopeful the majority of the country will be able to enjoy some places outside of the home, maintaining social distances and wearing masks remain important to decrease the odds of contracting the virus.

While he said he was surprised at how well the public handled the quarantine, he was concerned over a potential second wave of infections and the psychological costs attached to that.

In the latest edition of the DocTalk Podcast, Smith discussed psychological impact of the pandemic, what the new normal may look like, and the promising initial results of social anxiety treatment, PH94B.