- Kumantha says stress lowers immunity and loss of income and jobs has ruined the mental health of many.
- Urges Kenyans who get infected to avoid panic and instead be courageous.
Image: Reuben Githinji
Stress due to financial constraints related to strict Covid-19 containment measures could be contributing to the daily double-digit deaths.
Consultant psychiatrist Njagi Kumantha says many Kenyans have lost their livelihoods because of the strict measures, including curfew, and the situation has left some emotionally unstable.
Dr Kumantha said the bodies of most of the people who die of the disease could have been unable to fight it effectively owing to their intense mental anguish. His remarks follows a surge in Covid-19 infection and deaths.
Kumantha said stress lowers people's immunity and loss of income and jobs has ruined the mental health of many.
The former Mathare Mental Hospital director said Covid patients could also be finding it hard to survive because of the stress associated with the disease, citing stigmatisation and loneliness that come with isolation and quarantine.
Dr Kumantha said mandatory quarantine increases mental stress because patients cannot earn an income as they cannot work or interact with others.
“So now if you are mentally stressed, have no food and have no income, then the coronavirus will knock you down. That’s why we are losing quite a number of people for having problems all round,” he said.
Kumantha said the economic effects of the virus have been disastrous. He said lack of basic needs leaves many people stressed out, and once they contract the virus and start thinking about its high treatment costs, the stress multiplies and reduces their immunity. The result is death.
Kumantha advised the government to keep the economy open so people can continue working and earning a living. He, however, called for strict compliance with health measures such as masking, social distancing, sanitising and regular handwashing.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday extended curfew hours but allowed the economy to remain open under strict rules.
Kumantha blamed violation of health protocols for the rising infection. He urged Kenyans who get infected to avoid panic and instead be courageous, arguing that more than 80 per cent of those with the virus in Kenya are asymptomatic and require no hospitalisation.
The psychiatrist urged Kenyans to improve their immunity by eating balanced diets and alkaline fruits. He said only two per cent of patients die of the disease, hence there should be no cause for alarm.
He also recommended concentration of patients in home-based care to reduce isolation and loneliness. Kumantha appealed to the government to double the health budget to ensure enough drugs, equipment and personnel, and better remuneration to give patients mental tranquillity and strong immunity.
Edited by Francis Orieny