Respiratory panic attacks and COVID-19 Contact details: Kotova O.V. — PhD (medicine), Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Pathology Address: 45 Dubninskaya St., building 1, apt. 1, Moscow, Russian Federation, 127174, tel.: +7-903-117-99-83, e-mail: ol_kotova@mail.ru The unpredictability of the COVID-19 spread and the pandemic has led to a loss of self-control in many people, to anxiety and panic. Social restrictions due to the new coronavirus infection also negatively affected the mental and social well-being of the population. Under these conditions, the mental disorders incidence, including panic disorders, has increased significantly and has attracted attention to this problem as one of the current pandemic consequences. Panic attacks can have a significant respiratory component. In such cases, panic attacks are called respiratory attacks, and their clinical manifestations may be similar to some of the COVID-19 symptoms. For example, coughing and breathlessness are common in coronavirus infection and are potentially considered by patients as а high risk symptoms of an adverse outcome, and cause fear of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Due to the possibility of the increase of the respiratory panic attacks prevalence after the COVID-19 pandemic has regressed, the relevance of timely detection and adequate treatment of panic disorder is increasing. Key words: panic attacks, hyperventilation syndrome, respiratory panic attacks, panic disorder, COVID-19

Abstract

The unpredictability of the COVID-19 spread and the pandemic has led to a loss of self-control in many people, to anxiety and panic. Social restrictions due to the new coronavirus infection also negatively affected the mental and social well-being of the population. Under these conditions, the mental disorders incidence, including panic disorders, has increased significantly and has attracted attention to this problem as one of the current pandemic consequences. Panic attacks can have a significant respiratory component. In such cases, panic attacks are called respiratory attacks, and their clinical manifestations may be similar to some of the COVID-19 symptoms. For example, coughing and breathlessness are common in coronavirus infection and are potentially considered by patients as а high risk symptoms of an adverse outcome, and cause fear of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Due to the possibility of the increase of the respiratory panic attacks prevalence after the COVID-19 pandemic has regressed, the relevance of timely detection and adequate treatment of panic disorder is increasing.