About this Research Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently a pandemic that affects millions of people globally. Although most of the people who contracted COVID-19 recover from the disease, evidence suggests that there are major health consequences (e.g. organ damage) due to COVID-19 after recovery. This indeed has an implication in future disease burden, healthcare service utilization, and cost. The other aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic that should gain attention, are its impact on socio-economic status, livelihood and mental health. These consequences could be related to the direct effect of the virus, or in-placed measures to limit the spread.
The virus also has a detrimental effect on nutrition—one of the “pillars” of health—that is highly correlated and modifiable by behavioral factors. Dietary behavior directly and strongly predicts physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, evidence suggests that nutrition is an important prognostic factor in patients with viral infections, including COVID-19. As a result, hydration and nutrition are an essential part of COVID-19 treatment.
At the community level, job loss related to the virus may contribute to food insecurity and increased consumption of poor-quality food. These eventually become a public health challenge as a result of associated increased incidence of chronic diseases and mental health problems. Hence, a thorough investigation on the prognostic effect of diet, and identifying the behavioral changes and associated effects on physical and mental health, may help to guide current and future clinical and public health interventions.
We invite clinicians and researchers to submit relevant scientific work, either original articles or reviews to this Research Topic.
Specifically, we welcome the submissions of Original Research (including meta-analyses) and Reviews articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following terms:
1. The role of diet on severity, prognosis of and recovery from COVID-19 infection;
2. Dietary/lifestyle pattern associated with mental and physical health outcomes in those with COVID-19 infection;
3. The role of diet in improving mental health in those who affected by COVID-19;
4. The impact of COVID-19 on food security and mental health at population level.
The virus also has a detrimental effect on nutrition—one of the “pillars” of health—that is highly correlated and modifiable by behavioral factors. Dietary behavior directly and strongly predicts physical and mental wellbeing. In addition, evidence suggests that nutrition is an important prognostic factor in patients with viral infections, including COVID-19. As a result, hydration and nutrition are an essential part of COVID-19 treatment.
At the community level, job loss related to the virus may contribute to food insecurity and increased consumption of poor-quality food. These eventually become a public health challenge as a result of associated increased incidence of chronic diseases and mental health problems. Hence, a thorough investigation on the prognostic effect of diet, and identifying the behavioral changes and associated effects on physical and mental health, may help to guide current and future clinical and public health interventions.
We invite clinicians and researchers to submit relevant scientific work, either original articles or reviews to this Research Topic.
Specifically, we welcome the submissions of Original Research (including meta-analyses) and Reviews articles focusing on, but not limited to, the following terms:
1. The role of diet on severity, prognosis of and recovery from COVID-19 infection;
2. Dietary/lifestyle pattern associated with mental and physical health outcomes in those with COVID-19 infection;
3. The role of diet in improving mental health in those who affected by COVID-19;
4. The impact of COVID-19 on food security and mental health at population level.
Keywords: COVID-19, nutrition, diet, mental health
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
