‘Communicate with the people you love’ while in coronavirus lockdown: Psychologist
March 17, 2020, 10:57 am

‘Communicate with the people you love’ while in coronavirus lockdown: Psychologist

Residents wearing face masks dance, Beijing, China, March 1, 2020. (File photo Reuters)

Communicating with loved ones is important to surviving the effects of the coronavirus lockdown as people become increasingly isolated, according to advice from a senior psychologist in the UAE. Communicate

The ongoing spread of the deadly coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has prompted authorities across the world to close down public places and tell people to stay in their homes, with some countries such as Italy under complete shutdown. These measures are unprecedented on this scale and some have worried about the effects they could have on people’s mental health.

“Reorganize your life and communicate with the people you love,” advised Mario Aoun, clinical psychologist at Healthpoint, a UAE healthcare provider that is part of Mubadala Healthcare, told Al Arabiya English.

While the outbreak has put strain on human relations and led to some limited cases of stockpiling, Aoun pointed to some of the positive changes in behavior.

“We’ve seen lots of love and lots of people taking care of each other. We see chaos, that’s true, but human beings have proven so far that they have great faith and they will manage to get over it,” he said.

With families spending more time together in the home while under lockdown, Aoun said that this should be viewed as an opportunity, and not a punishment.

“It can be an opportunity for rebuilding and better communicating, and give time to ourselves, give time to our relationship, which are priorities, because this is a real priority. Work is important only if we have a good family,” he explained. Communicate

The coronavirus worldwide

The coronavirus has so far infected over 180,000 people worldwide, with over 7,100 dead. Nearly 80,000 have recovered.

The Arabian Gulf reported its first fatality on Monday of a 65-year-old woman in Bahrain. According to the country’s Ministry of Health she had been suffering from underlying and chronic health problems and was a registered COVID-19 case.

In the Middle East, authorities have continued to up coronavirus measures, with borders shut to most neighboring countries, while flights have also been severely curtailed. In Saudi Arabia, the government has urged people to stay at home. Meanwhile, the UAE has continued to shutdown more public places, with Dubai announcing the closure of all hotel bars, pubs and lounges on Monday, in addition to previous suspensions of all theme parks, entertainment and wedding destinations, including night clubs, cinemas and concerts and all gyms, gaming centers, and spring camps. levant

source: Matthew Amlôt levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”