Social Psychological Patterns of Managing Coronavirus Disease

15/5/2020 1
Dr. Geoffrey Wango1, Prof. Gidraph Wairire2 and Dr. Charles Kimamo3
1 Psychology Department, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
2 Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
3 Psychology Department, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Social Psychological Patterns of
Managing the Coronavirus Disease
Dr Geoffrey Wango, Prof. Gidraph Wairire and Dr. Charles Kimamo, University of Nairobi

15/5/2020 2Dr Geoffrey Wango, Prof. Gidraph Wairire and Dr. Charles Kimamo, University of Nairobi
Human beings, who are almost unique in
having the ability to learn from the
experience of others, are also remarkable
for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams

Preamble
Aim and Purpose
Since Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced in
China in December 2019, the pandemic has become a central focus all
over the World. There has been high fatalities as of 15th May 2020 in
China (4,633), France (27,425), Italy (31,610), Spain (27,459), United
Kingdom (33,998) and the United States of America (87, 459). This
PowerPoint Presentation illustrates the specifics of various
approaches with various questions such as follows:
(1) What are the experience of anxiety, and the impact of the
experiences to our reactions to COVID-19?
(2) What does it mean to adhere to certain regulations on COVID-19?
(3) What are the personal experiences of success and/or failure to
adhere to health regulations, including the high stakes?
(4) How can clinicians effectively communicate their clinical
reasoning towards curbing the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Threat of COVID-19 and our
Psychological Reactions
The answers to these questions constitute the underpinnings of
the Emotional Social Psychological Approach (ESPA) to the
management of COVID-19 by appealing to people’s emotions.
The approach identifies various intervention strategies in the
management of COVID-19. Subsequently, the interventions
can be prioritized according to the value they assign to involve
action (behaviour) based on their intrinsic characteristics. In
essence, the methodological and theoretical approach adopted
in this format can be used in various contextual settings and
hence the phenomenological approach of exploring COVID-
19 interventions from the perspective of those who
experienced it.

Severity and Intent
A foremost attempt is to obtain accurate information around
COVID-19 in order to minimize the anxiety. This is because it
is important to understand the intricacies of the coronavirus
disease, including information on who has contracted the
disease and probably who may not as yet have contracted the
virus. The second step is therefore to accelerate the response
of the immediate surroundings and this is where the social
psychological model makes use of action and risk
categorization. Similarly, a failed attempt to take precautionary
measures increases the threat to COVID-19 leading to a
degeneration of the situation.

Persons in an area
where COVID-19
may not be
spreading, no
contact with an
infected suspected
person.
A person with
acute respiratory
illness, and a
history of contact
with a confirmed
or probable case
of COVID-19.
A person for whom
testing for COVID-
19 is inconclusive, a
person who has not
tested but has been
in contact with a
confirmed case of
COVID-19.
Confirmed Case
A person who tests
positive to a validated
test; confirmation of
COVID-19 infection,
irrespective of clinical
signs and symptoms.
Confirmed CaseSuspected Case Probable Case
Low risk of
Infection
Motive as Intervening Variable

There is need to blunt our ability to differentiate between the
important (taking precautions) and the incidental (our
emotions, and of course actions) of COVID-19. The two
coalesce over time and thus our coping mechanisms. In that
case, the World Health Organization (WHO) objectives for
COVID-19 response must be translated to specific
intervention measures as illustrated in the Table below.
Similarly, we should ask if the general public have an
adequate if a tenuous understanding of COVID-19. The
motive would be to seek treatment if infected, or to take
precautions to avoid infection. In that case, the four levels,
from low risk of infection to a suspected case, probable and
people who have COVID-19 should be albeit clearer.
General and Specific Exigencies

The World Health Organisation
objectives for COVID-19 response are to:
This is translated in various intervention measure as follows:
Interrupting human-to-human
transmission. This includes reducing
secondary infections among close
contacts and health workers, preventing
transmission amplification events, and
preventing international spread.
- Reduced contacts such as hugging, kissing, shaking of hands.
- Closure of education institutions including school, colleges and
universities.
- Office closures and working from home.
- Closure of social gatherings including places of worship such as
Churches, Mosques and Temples.
- Restricted social gatherings including funerals, wedding
ceremonies and other cultural festivities.
- Social distancing including online shopping.
- Border closure and restrictions.
Identifying, isolating and caring for
patients early, including providing
optimized care for infected patients.
- Self-isolation and self-quarantine.
- Mandatory quarantine of high-risk patients.
- Rapid identification and management of cases.
- Follow up of patient contact to prevent further infection.
- Isolation of COVID-19 confirmed cases for clinical care and
treatment.
Addressing crucial unknowns regarding
clinical severity, the extent of
transmission and infection, treatment
options, and accelerated development of
diagnosis, therapeutics and vaccines.
- Awareness raising and risk communication to the general public.
- Washing of hands and other aspects of social hygiene.
- Use of sanitisers.
- Adoption of the use of masks.
- Infection prevention in health centres.
- Implementation of health measures for travellers.
- Contact tracing of contacts with infected persons.
Minimising social and economic impact
through multisectoral partnership.
- Restricted movement such as curfews and other restrictions in
highly affected areas and to protect the most vulnerable such as
children and the aged as well as persons with previous illness
World Health Organisation Strategic Objectives for COVID-19 Response Translated into Action

- Public health interventions are conventionally classified
into pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions.
- Pharmaceutical interventions include the use of prescribed
drugs as well as the possibility of the availability of a
vaccine.
- Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are nonspecific
but are applicable in a variety of settings, including social
distancing, closing of boundaries and school closures. It is
crucial to put in place non-pharmaceutical interventions at
the emergence of a pandemic since vaccine production and
distribution takes time. Furthermore, the stock of antiviral
agents tends to be limited by serious concerns over the
spread of resistant strains.
Interventions

Interventions Rationale Programs Behaviour
During
daylight
hours
During night
hours
Non-pharmaceutical To reduce
contact among
people and
subsequent
transmission of
coronavirus
disease
- School
closures
- Curfews
- Social
distancing
- Wearing masks
- Hand washing
and sanitizing
Go out only
for essential
services (e.g.
hospital)
Strictly stay
at home
Pharmaceutical Treatment and
management of
infection
- Medicalisation
- Therapy
- Vaccines
- Vaccinations
- Taking medicine
- Seeking medical services
- Confinement while
receiving treatment
Pandemic: Public health interventions

Interventions
- COVID-19 requires a case-by-case risk assessment. From the
World Health Organization intervention strategies (WHO), it is
possible to categorize the COVID-19 threat and effectively
categorize it into various zones in order to undertake safety
precautions.
- Safety precautions for COVID-19 are not automatic. Thus, there is
need to develop the new habits progressively so that the new acts
are constructed over time. The state should then intervene in
social economic political and health transactions. This is a new
ideology which has the potential to fundamentally alter us and our
society. Consequently, it has to be implemented correctly in a way
which would benefit both individual and the community. .
- Three specific zones, such as red (highly susceptible), yellow
(ritual compliance) and green (strict strategic compliance, less
susceptible) can be identified according to intensity as
demonstrated overleaf.

Red zone Yellow Zone Green Zone
- Crowded places
such as bus parks,
public transport,
religious/ worship
places, lifts,
beaches and open-
air markets .
- Public gatherings
and social functions
such as parties, bars
and restaurants.
- Sports activities.
- Gyms, saloons and
massage parlours.
- Meetings such as board
meetings and interview
panels.
- Public transport
including motorbikes
and overcrowded buses,
vehicles (personal or
public).
- Prisons / confinement.
- Residential areas with
communal areas.
- Banking halls.
- Malls and
supermarkets.
- Staying at home.
- Indoor activities such
as gardening.
- Personal and private
exercises including
taking a walk while
maintaining social
distancing.
- Private cars that are not
overcrowded and driver
and passengers wearing
masks.
- Online interactions
including online
meetings and online
shopping.
COVID-19 Threat Categorization Zones

The new trajectory of COVID-19 has brought great change to our
individual, family, social and economic life. We have lost a great sense
of normalcy. This is because both the state measures and the social
policies imply a new lifestyle. In any case, the new way of life including
austere state measures must not be perceived to be socially
retrogressive. Instead, they grant autonomy and freedom through a
conceptualisation of the coronavirus disease through taking
responsibility for their own lives and life events. The idea is not social
control, and neither is the new adaptation aimed to obscure the social
process or conceal it. Instead, the new way of life is an embodiment of
various attempts aimed to forge a role of the individual in the current
crisis. Opportunities for individual social control should be increased.
This is the concession to the pandemic and the movement to the
paradigm of specific conditions in closer proximity to the general
community. Such obfuscation leads itself to perpetuating regular social
order by side-stepping the challenges of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Threat and Threat Categorization

Adjusting to the Pandemic as Critical Situation:
Treatment and Reducing Risk
Category Management / Intervention
Confirmed
patients
- Clinical care for severe/acute respiratory infections.
- Quarantined awaiting recovery.
Patients with
suspected
infection
- Adherence to treatment procedures to protect self and others.
- A clear understanding that certain people are more vulnerable
than others and therefore at severe risks such as older people
and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as
diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease.
Quarantined
family members
Health care
workers
- Use of personal protective equipment in health and home
settings.
- Testing.
General
population
- Obtain reliable information on COVID-19.
- General hygiene.
- Safety and precautionary measures (social distancing).
- Cleaning and fumigation.
- Reduced fears and anxiety arising out of the understanding of
COVID-19.

COVID-19 has created a lot of concern leading to heightened
levels of tension and anxiety. Fear, apprehension and anxiety levels
have been considerably and unfavourably at high levels. The
lockdown has social political and economic ramifications that
includes panic buying of essential products such as food and
sanitation. There is also the increased concern among people to
avoid COVID-19 infection by washing of hands, sanitising, social
distancing, avoiding travel, self-quarantine and other hygienic
measures. There is possible stigma and discrimination of COVID-
19 patients. Anxiety is a natural reaction to stressful situations
though heightened anxiety can lead to stress and depression during
and after the COVID-19 epidemic. Yet adequate awareness
includes information on acceptable conduct, including the
avoidance of risky acts that makes us susceptible to illness such as
COVID-19.
COVID-19 Threat and Threat Categorization

Adults Children
- Sports activities (gyms, golf, pool,
group events).
- Shopping at
supermarket/convenience
store/malls.
- Holding parties / partying.
- Eating out and drinking sprees
(bars and restaurants).
- Family gatherings.
- Family outings and get-together.
- Cinema (group movies).
- Religious and faith meetings
(prayers/fellowships).
- Other activity (shaking of hands,
hugging, kissing, lifts, meetings).
- Playing and child games.
- Extra classes (coaching, language and
tutorials).
- Indiscriminate sharing and exchange
of items.
- Partying (anniversaries and
celebrations).
- Concerts, art and other artistic
activities.
- Family gathering.
- Family outings and get-together.
- Cinemas (group movies).
- Overnight stay away from home.
- Other activity (parent/adults hugging
child/ren, playing with adults).
Compensatory Behaviours, Need to Caution and Restrain Citizenry

In the case of COVID-19, we propose that emotionally, a connection can be
established between actions and motivations and the reality of the disease. This is
by outlining the stages in the COVID-19 awareness campaigns as follows:
(1) Awareness of the coronavirus disease.
(2) Threat and dealing with fear and anxiety of getting infected with COVID-19.
(3) Need to protect self from COVID-19.
(4) Taking precautionary measures to prevent infection for self, family and others.
(5) Commitment (includes an enhanced understanding of the risk zones).
Amidst these stages are various levels of risk management and assessment as
follows:
1) Awareness of COVID-19 and risk management.
2) Probability of infection/level of agreement.
3) Devotion (taking precautions, adherence safety provisions).
4) Likelihood to adhere to intervention measures/ satisfaction.
5) COVID-19 priority level, this includes quality of adherence to taking care of
self, family and others.
The emotional turmoil, during and after the pandemic can be dealt with by merging
the stages that allow a greater level of assessment as follows:
Phase and Intensity of Connections

Awareness Phase Levels of Assessment
1. Awareness of the disease Awareness of COVID-19 and
risk management
2. Threat and dealing with
fear and anxiety
Probability of infection/level of
agreement
3. Seeking protection from
COVID-19
Devotion (taking precautions,
adherence to safety provisions)
4. Taking precautionary
measures to prevent
infection
Likelihood to adhere to
intervention measures/
satisfaction
5. Commitment Quality of adherence
Phase and Intensity of Emotional Connection

The gist of the social psychological approach is that it is based on the
phenomenological model, hence its application in context. This is
because it provides a structural balance rather than a transformation.
Thus, it would be prudent for the states and citizenry to comprehend
COVID-19 and as a result understand the need to take precautionary
measures continuously. Additionally, solutions must also confront the
social economic political environment. The improved status quo that
enhances mutual understanding between the citizenry and the state is
accomplished through open and direct discussions about COVID-19.
The narrative structure of COVID-19 in low and middle-income
countries must take cognisant of the environmental factors, before,
during and after COVID-19 in order to deal with pre-existing and
arising notions. This is to strike a balance between the deterrent and
promotive values, as demonstrated in below.
The Integrated COVID-19 Motivational Volition
Model in Low and Middle-Income Countries

Pre COVID-19 COVID-19 Phase Volition Phase
Health issues including
malaria, non-
communicable diseases
(NCDs)
International and
Domestic Debts
Other pertinent issues
such as poverty and low-
income earnings, social,
economic political issues
Effectiveness of COVID-19
precaution interventions
- Meeting International and
Domestic Debts
- Stress and anxiety in the
general population
- Social psychological issues
(loneliness of patients, stigma
and discrimination of persons
who have COVID-19 and their
families
The
coronavirus
disease
The threat to
self and others
Motivational Moderators
- Personal and family life
- Social support services
- Career and personal
achievement
After COVID-19

Death and Bereavement Amidst COVID-19
The history of life and death are profoundly intertwined. Death is a
part of our lives. COVID-19 is also an additional cause of death in
that the disease can be fatal. The present precautionary health
measures make it difficult to mourn the death of a loved one as a
result of the limited social interactions, including the stipulated
social distancing. Mourning the death of a family member, relative,
friend or colleague at this time of social distancing is a sad and
challenging moment. The dejection of the loss is accelerated by the
social distancing, including the health precautions that prohibit
large groups of people from coming together to mourn a relative or
friend. Our traditions and rituals (cultural and spiritual) may be
turned more into moments that we need to heal from the loss.
Those able to attend a funeral, as well as those unable to physically
attend need to understand that the burial of a body is the last rite,
an essential rite of passage.

Death and Bereavement Amidst COVID-19
The funeral, memorial service can, therefore, be transmitted via
several Internet and digital services. The connection is emotional but
essential, if not necessarily physical but psychologically fulfilling. In
providing comfort, let us understand that there are feelings of guilt
and shame, and these emotional states of desperation arise out of our
feelings of helplessness and inability to do as much as we can be able
to. In that case, let us acknowledge our human limitations; that we
cannot come together as we would have loved to and mourn
collectively or comforted our loved ones at this time of great need.
Instead, we must allow a more demanding, grim and albeit refined
grieving process. Let us offer the social-psychological support and
assist families, friends, colleagues and neighbours by comforting and
sharing with them. There are several coping strategies that we can
adopt to assist with the grieving process. These, in turn, enable us to
process the loss, and thus adequately grieve with the loss. A four-step
approach is suggested as follows:

Pass news so that
family and friends
are in the know
Take care of Emotional
and Psychological
wellbeing
Make use of the
Narrative Technique
It is essential that the news of the demise
of a family member or friend are passed on
to significant others so that close family
members and friends are in the know.
Share the news of the loss (death) with
people even if they may not be able to
attend the funeral. This allows the
concerned persons even if absent during
the funeral to mourn the departed.
Coping with grieving during COVID-19
23
Dr Geoffrey Wango, Prof. Gidraph Wairire and Dr. Charles Kimamo, University of Nairobi15/5/2020
Share the event to
facilitate closure

Pass news so that
family and friends
are in the know
and Psychological
wellbeing
Make use of the
Narrative Technique
24
Share the event to
facilitate closure
Although there are several skills in grief and
bereavement, make good use of the narrative
technique. It is important to talk about the death of
the person, and how the person met their death even
if from COVID-19. This is important for several
reasons. One, it clarifies the cause of death rather
than making it a misery. Second, even if COVID-19
causes death, it helps us to stop stigmatizing the
disease. Stigmatization of the disease just like any
other forms of stereotyping and discrimination
makes dealing with the crisis difficult. Thirdly,
talking about the person reminds us of memories of
them. We must hold the person in our secret sacred
heart. This is because the person was dear to us and
is deeply signified in our lives even in the event of
death, including death from COVID-19.

Pass news so that
family and friends
are in the know
and Psychological
wellbeing
Make use of the
Narrative Technique
25
Share the event to
facilitate closure
Death is painful and sad. However, sharing the
event facilitates closure. Make use of the
Internet including sending pictures, videos and
other recordings on WhatsApp, YouTube and
other digital processes. Sharing is tenderly
painful, and thus comforting. The sharing also
enables us to deal with the immediate and long
term feelings, including compassionate
emotional support to those who may be very
close to the departed and those grieving the loss
of a loved one during the pandemic.

Pass news so that
family and friends
are in the know
and Psychological
wellbeing
Make use of the
Narrative Technique
26
Share the event to
facilitate closure
Take care of your emotional and psychological
wellbeing. It is good to be yourself. Also, be in
touch with your feelings while avoiding
unnecessary stress and anxiety. At the same
time, be empathetic. In that case, accept your
limitations including the social distancing. Of
course, it is a tough time. Be kind to yourself and
others.

Suggestibility and Oversensitivity

It is not always possible to estimate an illness with the utmost
precision. This is because an apparent infection such as the
coronavirus can eventually turn into a lethal act completed
over time. From a definitional point of view, COVID-19 can
be treated as different points on a common developmental
continuum illustrated as follows:
Harmless Lethal

In-depth investigation always shows that even a seemingly
insignificant infection such as COVID-19 can be fatal, while
acute illness including admission into the intensive care unit
can, and do in many instances or eventually lead to recovery.
What then, are the earmarks of separating the threat of
COVID-19 from the lethal? This can be illustrated using the
diagram below:
Strategic
Compliance
• Safeguards against
infection
Ritual
Compliance
• Can lead to
infection
Non-
Compliance /
Rebellion
• Highly risky

We can only discern that the process of taking precaution from
infection should be an assessment of the chances of infection
and hence the effects of precautionary interventions. That is
why we are convinced that the attempts at prevention can deal
with both the anxiety and the fear of infection. A second point
follows this; that the social environment (surroundings) and
hence our actions have serious consequences as illustrated
below by adopting the compliance models.
Strategic Compliance Ritual Compliance Non- Compliance
Harmless Lethal

Individual and Societal
Transformation
Communal
actions
(improved health
intervention
strategies
towards COVID-
19)
Individual actions
(health
intervention
strategies towards
COVID-19)
Personalised Social Psychological Framework for COVID-19
This framework enables us to comprehend the individual and social
transformations vis-a-vis social psychological meanings of interventions
against COVID-19.

Write down why you do the following things based on your experience of
coronavirus disease
Activity Because (rationale)
Washing of hands
Sanitizing
Wearing of face mask
Maintaining social distancing
Contacting in appropriate ways friends and family
members
Eating healthy foods
Going shopping only for essential goods and drugs
Restricted visits and social gatherings
Holding online meetings
Self-isolation and self-quarantine
Obtaining correct information about the coronavirus
disease
Exercising
Meditation and reflection
Prayer and reading the scriptures
Sharing with the less privileged in society
Motivation and Emotion: Creating a Rationale

Identify your involvement in the following activities to assess your risk management of COVID-19
Activity Very Low Low Medium High Very High
Going to crowded places
Attending public gatherings
Involvement in several social activities
Going to social places
Gyms, saloons and massage parlous
Attending social gatherings
Partying and celebrations
Going to malls and supermarkets
Social interactions
Visiting family and friends
Family gatherings
Family get-togethers
Children playing together without masks
Travelling from one place to another
Travelling in overcrowded vehicles
Sharing (clothes, cigarettes, other items)
Attending meetings
Maintaining contact (hugging, kissing, shaking of hands)
Casual contacts
Haphazard and impromptu shopping

COVID-19 Exit Phase and Connectivity
The crisis of COVID-19 is apparent with the simultaneous manifestation
of a unique phenomenon; on the one hand, the health issues; on the other
hand, the social economic political functioning and malfunctioning of
COVID-19. Everyone is susceptible. Therefore, the two phenomenon are
a crisis and hopefully will lead to the improvement of health, as hoped
for, as well as eventually lead to resumed social life. Many people are
hoping for a resumption of ‘normal’ life in post COVID-19. But, a major
paradox is that the social changes that are expected via the systems (read
return to normalcy) may not necessarily occur as expected. There is the
intricate link between the negative and positive effects of COVID-19:
positive because many people have taken a break to spend time with
their families at home as a result of the lockdown as well as the
improved environment; and, negative in that there will be major
financial loses leading to layoffs and unemployment. COVID-19 is a
characteristic phenomenon that acquires a new dimension that could
adversely affect both the individual and community.

Awareness Phase Levels of Assessment
1. Awareness of COVID-19 Increased levels of awareness of COVID-
19 and managing risk
2. Dealing with threats, fears and
anxieties
Probability of infection/level of agreement
3. Seeking protection (including
vaccination) from COVID-19
Improved health hygiene and devoutness
(taking precautions, adherence to safety
provisions)
4. Taking precautionary measures to
prevent infection and seeking
treatment
Adherence to intervention measures/
satisfaction
5. Commitment to management /
eradication of COVID-19
(epidemiology of the disease)
Quality of adherence of health standards as
a top priority
Exit Phase and Passion of Emotional Connectivity

Coping with Coronavirus Disease: Worries, Fears,
Stress and Anxiety
• Stress is often a normal part of life arising out of our
attempts to deal with life and various challenging
situations. It is a natural response to an external
pressure that disrupts our regular programme, the life
equilibrium.
• The first step in stemming fear is finding out if you are
experiencing these types of emotions. A lot of the
fears arise out of poor information and the worst
misinformation in this case about coronavirus. Some
several people and organizations provide
psychological support and practical support for
people who need it.
• Symptoms of stress include the following:

Coping with Disaster
Top 10 Tips for coping in these difficult times:
 Take care of yourself (physical, emotional, psychological and
spiritual wellness).
 Obtain accurate and effective information about the situation
/circumstances. This includes an accurate update.
 Limit risks and exposure to danger and/or the disaster.
 Spend time with friends and family.
 Talk about the disaster. This is to avoid overwhelmed emotions.
 Find time for leisure, pets, exercises, good nutrition and activities
you enjoy.
 Avoid drugs and excessive drinking.
 Ask for help when you need it.
 Avoid panic, negative images and anxious situations. Limit
exposure to images of the disaster. Instead, (a) Take one thing at
a time. (b) Do something positive everyday.
 Make attempts to regularize your life and family after the
disaster.

Symptoms of stress include the following:
 Mixed up feelings including confusion, anger, irritability, and
uneasiness as well as the sensation of sadness.
 Reduced concentration, leading to inefficiency, and low productivity.
 Social withdrawal and isolation.
 Interpersonal problems (arising out of an inability to effectively cope
such as too much time on the phone, television or Internet, lies, being
defensive, communication concerns).
 Tension and strain (notable in constant headaches, jaw clenching,
teeth grinding).
 Body pain (for example, frequent and unexplained headaches, muscle
spasms).
 Reduced energy (such as tiredness, weakness, fatigue).
 Sleeping problems (for example, lack of sleep (insomnia), sleeping
too much, bad dreams and/or nightmares).
 Sense of hopelessness, depression and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
 Preoccupation with the disaster (such as COVID-19) and thoughts of
death.

Coping with Coronavirus Disease: Worries, Fears,
Stress and Anxiety
The utmost thing one can do is to avoid panic. You may
be concerned about the illness, but avoid anxiety and
other repercussions. There is a lot one can do about our
lives amidst difficult and challenging circumstances such
as COVID-19. In the first instance, avoid the risk of
infection by taking the necessary health precautions.
Secondly, obtain accurate information by learning more
about COVID-19 and adopting self-care. Thirdly, protect
yourself and your loved ones from the irresponsible
persons, the rumour mongers, people who use such
incidents to gain popularity or as an opportunity to sell
things or to inflame racial hatred or
ethnic/racial/religious, gender hatred.

You can also try out the following:
 Prayer and Meditation. This includes reading the Bible, Quran or scriptures.
 General cleanliness and appropriate hygiene.
 Leisure activities such as playing with a pet, gardening, tending to flowers.
 Reading a book, newspaper or magazine. This can be from your home library or
online.
 Calling (keeping constant contacting) family, friends and loved ones.
 Watching your favourite programme or movie, or listening to music.
 Practicing gratitude and hospitality especially to the underprivileged in society.
 Taking an online class or learning a new skill or thing.
 Taking a walk, especially in the sunshine.
 Writing an article, book, poem, song, or paper.
 Involvement in works of art such as painting, inscription, music or drawing.
 Exercises, including dancing and yoga..
 Hosting a virtual gathering (with workmates, family or friends).
At home, hospital or if quarantined, keep in touch with family, friends and loved
ones (phone calls, online, skype). Inform them of your condition and hopefully
assure them of your improved health. Those at home and abroad or kept apart
should keep abreast of the whereabouts and wellbeing of spouse, family, friends,
colleagues and neighbours.

Children and Coping with COVID-19
Top Seven (7) Tips for assisting child/ren cope in these difficult times:
 Spend time with the child/ren. Encourage the child/ren to
share their concerns and feelings (these includes their fears
and anxieties).
 Assure the child/ren that all will be well.
 If the child/ren appear fearful, anxious and/or restless, take
time with them. Reassure them of their safety and well-being.
 Avoid inappropriate video and extreme pictures about the
disaster so that the child does not experience nightmares and
bad dreams.
 Find favourable activities that the child and family can enjoy
such as reading a book, movie or favourite cartoon.
 Checking of task is important. Let the child pick one activity at
a time and complete it. This allows them to regain their
confidence.
 Seek help if the child appears sick and/or disturbed.

Identify your adherence to the following healthy intervention measures aimed at curbing the
coronavirus disease and improving your healthy well being
Key: Not at all implies casual, while very often and always denotes careful and vigilant
Activity Not at all Now and
then
Very
often
Always
1 Washing of hands
2 Sanitizing
3 Wearing of face mask
4 Maintaining social distancing
5 Contacting a friend or family member at a distance
6 Eating healthy foods
7 Going shopping only for essential goods and drugs
8 Restricted visits and social gatherings
9 Holding online meetings
10 Self-isolation and self-quarantine
11 Obtaining correct information about the coronavirus
disease
12 Meditation and reflection
13 Exercising
14 Praying and reading the scriptures
15 Sharing with the less privileged in society

Identify your adherence to the following healthy intervention measures aimed at curbing the
coronavirus disease and improving your healthy well being
Key: 1 Means casual, 4 Means very careful, cautious and vigilant
Activity 1 2 3 4
1 Washing of hands
2 Sanitizing
3 Wearing of face mask
4 Maintaining social distancing
5 Contacting a friend or family member at a distance
6 Eating healthy foods
7 Going shopping only for essential goods and drugs
8 Restricted visits and social gatherings
9 Holding online meetings
10 Self-isolation and self-quarantine
11 Obtaining correct information about the coronavirus disease
12 Meditation and reflection
13 Exercising
14 Praying and reading the scriptures
15 Sharing with the less privileged in society
Scores of 31 – 60 is an indication that you are taking various precautions towards safety and healthy living against
COVID-19.
Scores of 21 – 30 is an indication that you are cautious and intent on taking various precautions towards safety and
healthy living.
Scores of 10 – 20 indicate that you are most certainly not cautious and you could be taking everything for granted.

Write down why you do the following things based on your experience and understanding of the coronavirus disease
Activity Because (rationale)
Washing of hands - For personal hygiene
- To avoid contracting the coronavirus
Sanitizing - Sanitizing helps kill the virus on hands and various surfaces
Wearing of face mask - It protects droplets falling from nose and mouth
- To reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus from others who may have the infection
Maintaining social distancing - It reduces the risk of contracting the coronavirus
Contacting friends and family
members in appropriate ways
- Phone calls; video calls; text messages assist to avoid outright exposure of self and others
Eating healthy foods - For healthy living
- To build immunity
Going shopping only for essential
goods and drugs
- To avoid unnecessary exposure
- To reduce chances of infection with coronavirus
Restricted visits and social
gatherings
- To reduce physical contacts
- For fear of possible infection
Holding online meetings - To sustain social contact while at the same time reducing the risk of infection
Self-isolation and self-quarantine - To reduce the risk of infection
- To avoid infecting others if and when one has the disease
Obtaining correct information
about the coronavirus disease
- To be educated and thus aware of COVID-19
- To be able to take appropriate safety precautions
Exercising - Improved physical wellbeing
- Helps reduce anxiety and stress
- To maintain good health and reduce chances of gaining unhealthy weight
Meditation and reflection - For improved mental health
- Enhance one’s spiritual nourishment since there is more time available
Prayer and reading the scriptures - Spiritual uplifting /nourishment
- To give oneself hope for a better tomorrow
Sharing with the less privileged in
society
- Re-establishing /building trust within the community
- Establishing and strengthening relationship with others
- Its noble and important to give to those less privileged as some may not have access to food and necessary support
such as drugs

- The community (in this case the whole world and specific
nations), families and individuals will always make attempt
to find out what happened and deal with a major disaster such
as COVID-19. This includes the social economic political
impact and the stress and anxiety arising out of the situation).
- A disaster create a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety
for those directly and indirectly affected. Stress and anxiety
(including depression and feelings of hopelessness) are
‘normal’ in that we experience difficulty managing our
feelings after major traumatic events. However, if you don’t
effectively deal with and cope with the stress, it can be
harmful to your daily functioning, relationship with family,
friends and others, activities of daily living (ADL) and can
lead to deteriorating mental and physical health.

Identify your involvement in the following activities to assess your risk management of COVID-19
Key: 1 Means Low Risk 5 Means High Risk
Activity 1 2 3 4 5
1 Going to crowded places
2 Attending public gatherings
3 Involvement in several social activities
4 Going to social places
5 Gyms, saloons and massage parlous
6 Attending social gatherings
7 Partying and celebrations
8 Going to malls and supermarkets
9 Social interactions
10 Visiting family and friends
11 Family gatherings
12 Family get-togethers
13 Children playing together without masks
14 Travelling from one place to another
15 Travelling in overcrowded vehicles
16 Sharing (clothes, cigarettes, other items)
17 Attending meetings
18 Maintaining contact (hugging, kissing, shaking of hands)
19 Casual contacts
20 Haphazard and impromptu shopping
Scores of 51 – 100 is a clear indication that you are not taking numerous precautions towards safety and healthy living against COVID-19.
Your chances of contracting, or having contracted the virus are extremely high.
Scores of 31 – 50 is a clear indication that you are not cautious and instead of taking various risks that could, and will lead to infection.
Scores of 20 – 30 indicate that you are cautious and consciously avoiding risky behaviours to avoid contracting the COVID-19..

You can assist self and others cope with various levels of distress and
trauma using an integrated approach:
• Learn to manage your own and others emotions.
• Accurately perceive your own and others’ emotions, especially when
they appear overwhelmed.
• Understand the signals that emotions send such as joy and happiness as
well as anger (irritation) and sadness.
• Encourage self and other discover memories and expression of feelings
= catharsis.
• Provide empathy and validation. In addition, encourage discovery and
expression of positive meaningful lessons / experiences learned in life.
• Provide accurate information. This includes situational circumstances,
moral and spirituality (faith and religion).
• Be mindful of nature and nurturing self and others. This includes
feelings of forgiveness.
• Learn and acquire stress management skills including breathing,
meditation, prayer and integrative healing.

- The social psychological and emotional turmoil of dealing with
COVID-19 may not immediately cease. Hence, by merging the
stages that allow for assessment and management, it will be
possible to deal with the present circumstances and later exit the
lockdown and passionately open the emotional connectivity with
COVID-19 but with slight modifications in health regulations.
- A dominant idea of the current system is improved mental health
and psychological resilience during COVID-19. We need to be
careful so that we do not spiral into a complete psychological
crisis. This requires a scaling down of certain activities with an
aim of getting our ordinary life back to marginal levels as shown
in the Table overleaf..
- The new orientation is a new mindset, a way of living differently,
and of course several changes or transformations in our lives.
Overall, we must be savvy on the need to learn from the
experiences of others.

Group Happening Effect Intervention
Children Disruption in school
life
- Children are likely to
experience worry, fear and
anxiety
- Children at increased risk
of abuse (physical and
psychological), and
increased exposure to
witness violence
- Desire to be close to the
parent
- Seeking an answer to the
crisis
- Give child love and attention by spending time
with them.
- Assist children to find ways to express themselves
such as through creative activities.
- Provide a structure that make it possible to re-
establish routine.
- Encourage the child to share their concerns and
feelings (these includes fears and anxieties).
- Assure the child/ren that all will be well.
- Find favourable activities that the child and family
can enjoy such as reading a book, movie or
favourite cartoon.
Being at home
Limited play
Wearing a mask
Confinement at
home/house
Uncertain future
Young people Disruption in young
adulthood
- Seeking of a logical
explanation
- Impatience, irritability and
anger
- Social support (keeping in touch).
- Encourage creativity and innovativeness (reading,
writing, painting).
- Restructuring daily life.
- Exercise and hobbies.
School / College/
Higher education
interrupted
Adults Disruption of family - Fear and anxiety
- Frustration and
disappointment
- Adequate awareness.
- Psychological support services to deal with
distress.
- Prayer and meditation.
- Exercise and taking a walk.
- Social connection.
- Resumption of activities of daily living.
Limitations in daily
activities
Domestic crisis
Economic /financial
hardship
Disruption of work
The sick, older
people and
other
vulnerable and
marginalized
people
Disruption of daily
schedules
- Extremely frightened and
pre-occupation with fear
- Thoughts of death
- Loneliness
- Frustration
- Medical attention.
- Healthy nutrition.
- Appropriate hygiene.
- Keeping to routines or creating new ones
including activities which give a sense of
achievement.
- Maintaining social connections.
Disrupted health
facilities
Self medication
Social isolation

Conclusion
 Making the choice to recover from a traumatic situation is
crucial, and of course, having the will comes in handy.
However, the support of others is critical especially when we
notice one of us is going down and thus not doing as would be
expected. The help and support of others helps us make it
everyday especially the encouragement. Even persons who are
recovering require support, especially without purging too much
into anxiety and depression. Again, just taking that first step in
dealing with disaster and towards recovery makes us see what
is really important.
 The fact is, we all have a long way to go in this life, and it is not
possible to do it on our own. Even in the short-term and long-
term, we need critical information on coping. This opens an
avenue for people to emerge triumphant when the World opens
up to swallow us in the face of disaster. Thus, we need to be
hopeful, and hence continue making plans to do the things we
have always done and wanted to do. This is the future.

References
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, DSM-
5. American Psychiatric Association.
Cabanac, M. (2002). What Is Emotion? Behavioural Processes, 60, 2: 69 - 84.
Ekman, P., & Davidson, R. J. (Eds.). (1994). The Nature of Emotion: Fundamental Questions. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Finlay, L. (2011). Phenomenology for Psychotherapists: Researching the lived World. Wiley-
Blackwell, USA.
Gift, T. L., Palekar, R. S., Sodha, S. V., et al. (2010). Household effects of school closure during
pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Pennsylvania, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 16, 8: 1315 - 1317.
Griffiths, P. E. (1997). What Emotions Really Are. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and Adaptation. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Mordka, C. (2016). What are Emotions? Structure and Function of Emotions. Studia Humana, 5: 3, 29
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Schaller, M. (2011). The behavioural immune system and the psychology of human sociality. Philosophical
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Tabari, P., Amini, M., Moghadami, M., & Moosavi, M. (2020). International Public Health Responses to
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Van Manen, M. (2014). Phenomenology of practice: Meaning-giving methods in phenomenological research
and writing. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
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Technology, Hacking and Mental Models. Emerald Open Research. 2. 21: 1 - 11.
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About the Authors
Dr Geoffrey Wango is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology,
University of Nairobi. He has been an education officer in the Ministry of
Education of Kenya and now teaching and researching. His speciality is
counselling in developing countries, particularly schools and educational
institutions. His main research interests focus on Counselling Psychology in a
cross-cultural context. His publications include counselling, education and
related developmental studies. Email gwango@uonbi.ac.ke
Prof. Gidraph Wairire is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Social
Work, University of Nairobi. His scholarly work has been published as book
chapters and journal articles while other papers have been presented in
international conferences and symposia. His main interests include social work
theory and practice, counselling, developmental social work, social law, social
work with minorities and social action for social change. Email
wairireg@gmail.com.
Dr Charles Kimamo is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of
Psychology, University of Nairobi. He specialises in Developmental and
Clinical Psychology. His publications include psychology, health, education and
related developmental studies. Email kimamo_charles@uonbi.ac.ke

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