"Feeling Depressed Staying at Home" Citizens Express Anxiety and Depression

45 Days Since Korea's First COVID-19 Case
1 in 2 Citizens Feel Anxious When Exposed to COVID-19 News
Some Citizens Report Depression and Lethargy
Health Authorities Stress "Social Distancing is Important"

On the 24th, citizens wearing masks for reasons such as COVID-19 prevention are commuting to work at the crosswalk of Gwanghwamun Station intersection in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "I can't go out because of the fear of COVID-19 infection, so I feel lethargic and depressed."

University student A (22) recently said that she has not gone out at all for two weeks due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

A said, "I usually can't stay still at home, so even during vacations, I used to make plans and go out every day, but now I feel sorry to make plans, and the start of the semester has been postponed, so I just stay at home," adding, "I feel trapped inside the house and gradually become lethargic."

She added, "I hesitate to go out even briefly in front of my house because I'm worried about infection and whether I might harm others. It doesn't seem like the situation will be resolved soon, so I sometimes feel depressed."

As the COVID-19 infection situation in Korea enters its 45th day since the first confirmed case on January 20, citizens are expressing anxiety and depression. They feel helpless and depressed due to the sudden changes in their daily lives, and also complain of anxiety and fatigue from being exposed to COVID-19-related information every day.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) as of 0:00 on the 4th, there are a total of 5,328 COVID-19 patients in Korea, 41 released from quarantine, and 32 deaths. The number of confirmed cases in Korea exceeded 5,000 for the first time 44 days after the initial outbreak. It has been only one day since the cumulative confirmed cases surpassed 4,000.

Survey results show that one out of every two citizens feels anxious when exposed to COVID-19-related news.

According to the "National COVID-19 Risk Perception Survey" commissioned by the Korean Research Institute from the Korean Health Communication Association President (Professor at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health) Yoo Myung-soon on the 4th, 59.8% of respondents said, "It feels like more than half of daily life has stopped." Among respondents, 48.8% identified 'anxiety' as the emotion that comes to mind when exposed to COVID-19 news. Additionally, 21.6% said 'anger,' 12.6% said 'shock,' and 11.6% said 'fear.'

On the morning of the 2nd, citizens wearing masks hurried their steps near Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Citizens understand the seriousness of the situation and the risk of infection but complain that anxiety is increasing as the situation continues for over a month.

Job seeker B (26) said, "I was originally working part-time, but as the COVID-19 situation worsened, my boss told me to take a break for the time being," adding, "It's natural that my usual lifestyle has been disrupted, and I'm worried about how to cover living expenses. Although it can't be helped, the sudden change makes me angry and drained."

Office worker C (30), who has been working from home since last week, said, "I'm okay with not going out," but added, "However, watching only COVID-19-related news for over a month makes me feel fatigued and anxious, so I hope the situation calms down soon."

C said, "Since this is the most important issue, everyone only talks about COVID-19. My friends, SNS, and portal sites are all flooded with COVID-19 news," adding, "Watching the flood of information all day and being on high alert makes me even more anxious."

Meanwhile, health authorities and experts have urged citizens to strictly follow personal hygiene rules such as social distancing and handwashing.

At a briefing held on the 3rd at the KCDC in Osong, Chungbuk, Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters emphasized, "For the general public, social distancing and handwashing take priority over using medical masks."

Deputy Director Kwon reiterated that Europe recommends avoiding contact within 2 meters for more than 15 minutes, emphasizing, "Maintaining distance in situations of close contact is much more important."