Analysis of an Epidemiological Anomaly of COVID-19: Transcultural and Immunological Psychiatry

Author Info

James Pandarakalam

Corresponding Author

James Pandarakalam
Northwest Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Hollins Park Hospital & AFG Rehab Hospitals, Winwick, Warrington, UK

A B S T R A C T

Evidence exists for an epidemiological trend of transmission concentrations of COVID-19 within migrant communities from tropical weather conditions. Minority groups are over-represented in hospitalisations and deaths from the virus, and it appears that the observed anomaly may be due to multifactorial causes. Underactive immune responses in cooler temperatures and diminished synthesis of vitamin D, both of which are associated with genetic factors among ethnic minority groups, could help to explain the higher incidence of COVID-19 among ethnic minority communities. Neither factor is specific to a migrant community but common to general populations. The overstatement of contributory genetic factors runs the risk of racial stigmatisation. If environmental factors are given their due importance, individuals belonging to ethnic minorities may try to adopt new ways to combat the pandemic, while overemphasising racial factors would only leave them helpless. The renewed interest of psychiatrists in immunology would support the emerging field of immunopsychiatry. COVID-19 is environmentally sensitive, and all medical specialities, including the mental health profession, should contribute their wisdom to defeating or making a truce with the viral phenomenon.

Article Info

Article Type

Review Article

Publication history

Received: Thu 14, Jan 2021
Accepted: Thu 28, Jan 2021
Published: Wed 10, Feb 2021

Copyright

© 2023 James Pandarakalam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.CMR.2021.01.01