Social Distancing, Loneliness and Isolation: Mental Health and the New Normal

Fear, worry and stress are expected responses to the unexpected. So it is normal and understandable that people are experiencing fear in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, the pandemic has changed the very fundamentals of our society. Fear of contracting the virus has prompted significant changes to our daily lives as our movements are restricted in support of efforts to contain and slow down the spread of the virus.

A technician takes nasal swab as part of rapid antigen testing, a quick testing process to detect Covid-19 infection within a short span of time at a municipal clinic in New Delhi, India.

Rapid antigen testing, a quick testing process to detect Covid-19 infection within a short span of time, at a municipal clinic in New Delhi, India.

But what do you do when social distancing turns into mental isolation? For Yathart Hospital in Noida Extension, Uttar Pradesh, the answer was Mitra, a robot who connects patients under treatment at the hospital with their families through video calls. The calls are made using a screen on the body of the robot. Mitra was designed and developed by Invento Robotics, a start-up based in Bengaluru, India.

Mitra the robot connects infected patients with their families through video calls.

Mitra was designed and developed by Bangalore-based start-up Invento Robotics

Faced with new realities of working from home, unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues, now more than ever it is important to look after our mental, as well as our physical, health.

PVR Plaza cinema hall in Connaught Place, New Delhi, offers PPE kits along with show ticket as cinema halls in several parts of the country are preparing to reopen under Unlock5. Fifty percent capacity, compulsory recording of phone numbers and staggered show timings along with social distancing and thermal screening are some of the precautions for movie-goers.

PVR Plaza cinema hall in Connaught Place in New Delhi is offering PPE kits along with show tickets as cinema halls in several parts of the country are preparing to reopen under Unlock5. Fifty percent capacity, compulsory recording phone numbers and staggered show timings along with social distancing and thermal screening are some of the compulsory precautions for movie-goers.