Habibeh Barzegar
1 
, Ailar Nakhlband
2* , Ali Fakhari
3* 1 Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Health Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Karaj, Alborz, Iran
3 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Besides being a global health pandemic, COVID-19 has multiple psychological consequences. The high mortality rates increase anxiety and depression levels in patients with COVID-19 and the general population. Consequently, the anxiety related to COVID-19 may manifest as health anxiety named Coronaphobia. This exaggerated fear can lead to behavioral and physiological changes that complicate COVID-19 control in several ways. First, as “Worried Well” patients, who are generally in good physical health but experience excessive concern about their health, these individuals burden the healthcare system by misinterpreting bodily sensations as signs of potential infection, potentially spreading the virus in such environments. Second, the sterile immune response plays a key role in disease development. Psychological stress stimulates systemic and central nervous system (CNS) sterile inflammation, which, in some conditions, might weaken the body’s defense system against the virus. Herein, we summarize these mechanisms to offer insights into self-management strategies during the current pandemic.