Anxiety and Coping with Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19: A review of the existing literature (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with significant fear and extreme anxiety in patients; this can lead to strong emotional state that can negatively impact their mental health and immune system. While the nature and effect of COVID-19 on mental health status yet to be determined , existing literatures offer some clues to understand what to expect in dealing with COVID-19 anxiety. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of anxiety and coping with anxiety in COVID-19 patients METHODS This is a narrative review of existing literature relevant to COVID-19 pandemic via pubmed, emebase and google scholar database on anxiety in patients with COVID- 19 and represented in a search flow. Articles search with use of key words in various permutations and combinations RESULTS Total number of 73 articles were identified, following deduplication and exclusion of non-relevant studies two major articles, observational and randomized controlled trials were identified with broad themes of specifically on effect of anxiety on COVID-19 patients. These two publications were written in English and from Chinese centres. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence revealed that increased social capital will improved sleep quality by reducing anxiety and stress of patients in self-isolation, also progressive muscle relaxation has a positive effect on improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety in patients with COVID-19. These findings have some serious clinical and public health implications hence this is a call for further research