Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our global health was steadily deteriorating. Obesity rates have more than tripled since 1975, while rates of anxiety and depression have soared. On the current trajectory, the World Health Organization estimates that mental illness could cost the global economy as much as $16 trillion by 2030.
In fact, our health is in a state of serious concern. To make matters worse, COVID has only exacerbated the problem. In addition to the immediate impact of the virus on our long-term health, staying indoors and self-isolating have a major impact on our mental health. Experts say the mental damage from the social and emotional upheaval of COVID-19 caused by indoor isolation and forced self-isolation is likely to last a generation.