Business Continuity and the Pandemic Threat - Learning from COVID-19 while preparing for the next pandemic

CHAPTER 15: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT

When I wrote the prequel to this book, apart from acknowledging the ‘fear factor’, which can be an intrinsic part of being caught up in a pandemic, I have to confess that I didn’t give much thought to the wider psychological issues. I hope by including this chapter, I will have gone someway in redressing the balance.

I was recently listening to what was termed a ‘Healthcare Special’ series of webinars organised by the British Computer Society. The coronavirus pandemic has necessitated some rapid changes in the UK’s National Health Service and information technology has been at the forefront.

One of the panellists pondered about whether once the pandemic is over, will it be followed by a mental health pandemic ...