COVID-19, 5 Years Later

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On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Countries closed their borders, schools sent students home, sports teams and theaters canceled their seasons, and we entered lockdown. You—the doctors and clinicians—went to work on the front lines. Now, 5 fateful years later, we reflect on this unprecedented time.

According to estimates, as of April 2024, more than 7 million individuals have died from COVID-19.¹ During the pandemic’s first year, worldwide prevalence of anxiety and depression rose 25%.² Additionally, approximately 8% of US adults experienced long COVID.³ The impacts of this pandemic continue to ripple. All we can do is try our best to stay informed. That’s where we come in.

In our March 2020 cover story, Nidal Moukaddam, MD, PhD; and Asim Shah, MD, wrote about the spread of infectious diseases and its neuropsychiatric consequences, particularly in patients with mental health disorders, making Psychiatric Times the first psychiatric print publication to share the story.⁴ Five years later, in this month’s issue, our CME article highlights the devastating impacts of long COVID and its neuropsychiatric symptoms. You can learn to identify the common neuropsychiatric sequelae of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 and how best to treat these symptoms.

In times of great distress, we turn to each other for support and guidance. We at Psychiatric Times hope we can continue to be your top resource for breaking news, information, and clinical reflections from you and your peers. Thank you for everything you do.

Mike Hennessy Jr

President and CEO, MJH Life Sciences

References

1. Coronavirus death toll. Worldometer. Updated April 13, 2024. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/

2. COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. News release. World Health Organization. March 2, 2022. Accessed February 11, 2025. https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

3. Wappes J. About 8% of US adults have ever had long COVID, survey finds. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. December 13, 2024. Accessed February 14, 2024. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/about-8-us-adults-have-ever-had-long-covid-survey-finds

4. Moukaddam N, Shah A. Psychiatrists beware! The impact of COVID-19 and pandemics on mental health. Psychiatric Times. 2020;37(3).