Google searches for 'panic attack' reach record levels amid coronavirus pandemic

Google searches for 'panic attack' reach record levels. (Courtesy)

Internet searches for the phrase "panic attack" soared to record levels at the start of the coronavirus crisis, reveals new research. The discovery has raised fears that the Covid-19 pandemic could trigger a mental health crisis. But experts say that assessing how widespread mental health problems are is difficult to quantify. Dr. John Ayers, who specialises in monitoring the health needs of the public, said: "Traditional public health surveillance lacks the agility to provide on-demand insights.

"As a result, when public leaders need real time data to inform their responses to Covid-19's mental health burdens, all that can be mustered is theoretical speculation."