Egypt allocates 2 hotlines for psychological support during Covid-19 crisis

CAIRO – 31 March 2020: The Ministry of Health allocated two hotlines to provide psychological support for citizens staying at home as part of the precautionary measures taken by the state to counter the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

In the statement, Mogahed said that the two hotlines allocated at the General Secretariat for Mental Health are: 080-8880700 and 0220816831.

“The fear and anxiety caused by the spread of coronavirus are normal, but these feelings should be overcome to avoid any negative psychological effects, especially for the children and elderly,” said ministry spokesperson Khaled Mogahed, as he stressed the need for citizens to remain at home to protect themselves.

Mogahed added that citizens need to follow some precautionary measures, including eating a healthy and balanced diet, getting a good amount of sleep, exercising, refraining from smoking and drinking alcohol, and communicating with friends via social media or phone, in order to alleviate the severity of tension during this period.

Mogahed further suggested breathing exercises, simple meditation, and other mental exercises help in calming down the tension. This is in addition to engaging in positive joint activities with family members.

He further advised parents to help children overcome the fear, which might result in a number of disorders in their behavior such as excessive movement. He also stressed on the importance of giving children more time, attention, and space for playing and rest.

Maintaining a daily routine for children was also recommended by Mogahed, as he said that such routines would help children study and learn clear information about the virus.

Secretary General of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment department Menan Abdel Maksoud said that a total of 150 specialists in mental health were trained online on how to remotely communicate to provide psychological support to those infected with the new coronavirus, their families and the therapeutic team in the isolation hospitals as well as the rest of the community.

Egyptians have been sharing their daily routine after they were obliged to stay home during curfew hours, while most of the employees are working remotely from home. Their posts included prayers to end the Covid-19 crisis that has affected the world and killed thousands, in addition to memes trying to alleviate the tension overwhelming them, especially with the lack of information about when this exceptional isolation period will end.