Stress and Fear Could Take a Toll on Our Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Population Reference Bureau

▤ Summary

WASHINGTON, D.C. —With more than 60% of the U.S. population still under stay-at-home orders, heightened fears and stress brought on by social distancing and isolation could negatively impact the health of some Americans. A Population Reference Bureau (PRB) review of recent research shows that stress and fear can alter gene activity and even leave certain people more susceptible to infections like the novel coronavirus. The findings are based on research supported by the National Institute on Aging that shows that the body’s natural fight-or-flight stress response is heightened in chronically lonely people. It is too soon to fully understand how the pandemic could affect our long-term health, but the emerging research gives us some important clues,” said Mark Mather, PRB associate vice president of U.S. Programs. According to lead researcher, Steve Cole, professor of medicine and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), “The body doesn’t care what we’re afraid of—fear of the virus or fear of rejection by others, as is common in lonely people.

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