This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
Published on August 25, 2020, a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found evidence of a 'record high' in potential anxiety attacks or panic attacks through Google searches.
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."
Researchers led by Dr. Ayers and Dr. Alicia Nobles, of the University of California San Diego (UCSD), analysed Google search queries that mentioned 'panic attack' or 'anxiety attack' emerging from the United States from January 2004 through to May 9th this year.
The team discovered severe acute anxiety related searches reached record highs, with the largest increases in queries occurring between March 16 and April 14, cumulatively increasing 17 per cent.
Dr. Benjamin Althouse, a Principal Scientist at the Institute for Disease Modeling, said: "In practical terms, over the first 58 days of the COVID-19 pandemic there were an estimated 3.4 million total searches related to severe acute anxiety in the United States."
Study co-author Dr. Eric Leas, an Assistant Professor in the UCSD Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, said: "The pandemic and our public health response, while warranted based on early evidence, could have many unintended and collateral health impacts."
Dr. Ayers added: "A panic attack is not to be taken lightly as it can land someone in the emergency room with shortness of breath, a pounding heart, chest pain, and an intense feeling of fear."
Co-author Dr. Derek Johnson, a Research Fellow in the UCSD Department of Medicine, said: "Similar hotlines should be rolled out nationally and prominently featured in the search results of those seeking help online."
