I am part of a risk group. What can I do specifically?
In particular, follow the recommendations of official bodies and try to reduce your risk of infection as far as possible. If you feel uncomfortable leaving the house, speak to friends, family or colleagues and ask them to support you (e.g., do some shopping for you). If you have any special questions, contact your doctor ("Hausarzt").
How do I interact with my children in this situation?
In crisis situations, children show different levels of reaction to stress and insecurity depending on their age. Talk to your children, reassure them that you are there to take care of them. Discuss your plans for the next few weeks so that your children can orient themselves and better predict and understand the situation. Try to find new routines to give structure to everyday life. Keep calm and talk to your children and ask them how they feel and think and clarify open questions. Encourage your children to discuss their concerns openly.
How do I interact with older people in this situation?
The same recommendations for maintaining mental health apply to older people as to all other groups of people. So please read our recommendations on how to strengthen yourself and how you can best handle stress, anxiety, and negative feelings. For older people with cognitive deficits or dementia, isolation measures can lead to violent emotional reactions and withdrawal. Communicate information clearly and understandably and focus on how protective measures will work. Repeat information several times if necessary. Support older people with errands in everyday life and with the use of telecommunication systems to maintain social contacts. Make sure that the supply of medication for existing medical conditions is regulated.
Information for persons working in the health system
For people working in the healthcare system, the COVID-19 pandemic can be particularly stressful. Experiencing yourself extremely stressed and tense due to the current situation is not an expression of the fact that you are not handling the challenge, but are normal consequences of the current circumstances. The current pandemic therefore requires special measures to maintain mental health for people in the health system.
Prepare for long-term stress.
The WHO writes that the current situation is not a sprint, but a marathon. Therefore, pay special attention to yourself in the current situation and use long-term functional strategies to relax and regulate your emotions. Avoid short-term strategies such as substance use and make sure you get enough sleep and regular rest and keep up your social contacts.
Distance from friends and family
Some people who work in the health system have reported in past pandemics that people in the immediate vicinity have distanced themselves from them due to fear of infection, thereby making the situation even more difficult. Provide well-founded information about the ways of transmission of the disease in order to reduce a possible stigma. Continue to use the modern options for maintaining social contacts and especially look for an exchange with colleagues, superiors, and other people close to you.