Many people suffer from anxiety on a daily basis. And with the general public experiencing
anxiety about
Covid-19, those regular anxiety sufferers could feel that things have reached a new level of
panic – perhaps
resulting in a list of symptoms that are similar to those of the corona virus i.e. shivers,
excessive sweating,
shortness of breath, etc. for this reason it is important to know the difference between
anxiety and the virus so
that if you’re experiencing anxiety, you won’t run unnecessarily to the hospital thinking
you’ve contracted the
disease.
Although there are similarities between the two sets of symptoms, there are also some major
differences. Even
though individuals suffering from anxiety may have unique symptoms, they share a common
experience: irrational
fear and dread. If one is particularly stressed about the virus and thinking about a scary
future, that’s likely
a sign that you’re experiencing more intense anxiety than usual. This in turn sends your
body into overdrive and
brings about unusual symptoms that you may not recognise.
The more common anxiety symptoms include:
Feelings of panic, fear, and nervousness
Repeated thoughts or “flashbacks” of traumatic events
Uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts
Dry mouth, nausea, and dizziness
Excessive sweating or numbness in the hands and feet
Shortness of breath, hyperventilation
Chest pain or heart palpitations
Feeling restless, wound-up or on-edge
Easily fatigued
Irritability
Muscle tension
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness
IBS, diarrhoea
Difficulty concentrating
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with the corona
virus exhibit three
primary symptoms:
Fever
Difficulty breathing
Dry cough
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), less common Covid-19 symptoms include:
aches and pains, nasal
congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhoea.
So what’s the main difference between corona virus symptoms and those of anxiety?
Corona virus can cause a fever; while in some extreme cases, anxiety can cause a fever, it’s
very rare. People
with Covid-19 usually have a fever along with coughing and difficulty breathing; since
anxiety doesn’t cause
coughing, that’s another key distinction between the two.
Sneezing and a runny nose can occur with the virus but not with anxiety.
When a person experiences a panic attack, which includes shortness of breath, it usually
lasts 20 to 30 minutes,
hitting its peak at about 10 minutes. Someone with corona virus who is having trouble
breathing will have that
difficulty for a longer period of time, typically alongside flu-like symptoms.
It’s important to remember that it’s normal to be anxious during a time like this, and our
bodies react in
unpredictable ways under stressful circumstances. Before jumping to the conclusion that you
have the virus, take
a moment to evaluate if you have all the symptoms. You can also try deep breathing exercises
which should
alleviate anxious feelings but will not be possible with acute respiratory distress. If you
are in doubt, when
feeling short of breath, reach out to a medical professional.
Rizwana Ahmed
Clinical Psychologist
KPSMC