Psychosocial Challenges of Covid-19 Patients in Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease, COVID-19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International concern. WHO stated that there is a high risk of COVID-19 spreading to other countries around the world. In March 2020, WHO made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic. WHO and public health authorities around the world are acting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, this time of crisis is generating stress throughout the population. This paper therefore focuses on psychosocial challenges of COVID-19 patients in Nigeria: Implications for counselling. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenges to public health, food systems and the world of work. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating. The index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was an Italian citizen that arrived to the country on February 27th, 2020, through Lagos State, Nigeria. The government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Health has been strengthening measures to ensure an outbreak in Nigeria is controlled and contained quickly. The covid-19 pandemic has produced substantial health challenges from the perspective of both its direct health complications and the disruption to delivery of standard care for issues. Daily exposure to news about COVID-19 may result in a range of responses, such as emotional, somatic, and/or behavioural, and can impact mental and physical health. This has major implications for counselling