Mental health implications of COVID-19 and lockdown among general and special populations: An Indian perspective

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute RespiratorySyndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2),was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020 (Wang et al.,2021). When the whole world was combatingunprecedented circumstances, India witnesseda laudable nationwide coordinated effortduring the first wave to flatten the COVID19 growth curve. However, unfortunately,while the world is still recuperating from thebrunt of the pandemic, India is struck by thelethal second wave. With thousands of liveslost since March 2021, the actual extent ofthe damage in India wreaked by the secondwave remains unquantifiable.