THERAPEUTIC OR RECOVERY STRATEGIES
For the first time in the world’s history, a whole city is on medical quarantine, with peak fear and havoc in Wuhan after the COVID-19 outbreak [1,11] (S3). In addition to serious mortality, rapid transmission and higher morbidity are increasing hysteria and anxiety among people. People in Wuhan are under critical conditions that may increase panic behavior. People are scared of being infected by their fellows and even family members, thus, they prefer to remain isolated and locked down, while overusing the electronic devices. For foreigners, the conditions are more severe as countries have started evacuating some of the people and leaving others under the burden of stress. Thus, a proper system must be developed to educate people through psychological counseling. Moreover, they should be provided with pharmacological therapies and psychiatric assistance where needed.

Psychological counseling based therapies
The alleviation of acute distress and preventing chronic depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress among people and health care workers indirectly exposed to the carnage of viral infection. Psychological resilience will be important in the population who are likely to develop psychotic or traumatic symptoms irrespective of their severity. Furthermore, people with acute stress disorder or depressive disorders will also be dealt with psychological debriefing by administering briefing sessions (S22,S23) in which the participants are asked to describe their feelings and behavioral reactions during the epidemic. The instructors provide psychoeducation by teaching that such psychological problems are normal responses to such outbreaks (S23). In addition, cognitive behavior therapy may also effective in combating the psychological and psychiatric symptoms followed by the 2019-nCoV outbreak in Wuhan, China (S24,S25). Exposure based therapy may also be useful in the scenario of current situation. In this therapy exposure to some good memories and events is made. Moreover, stress inoculation training for depression, stress, and related disorders, education about these disorders related symptoms and techniques to manage anxiety including relaxation training, guided self-dialogue and cognitive restructuring (S24-S26). In addition, cognitive therapy may also be helpful in which the affected person is taught to identify irrational or dysfunctional beliefs about symptoms and to challenge these beliefs logically (S25-S26). Interpersonal therapy can also be selected, which focuses on interpersonal relationships (S27).

Pharmacological therapies
Pharmacological treatment of depression, anxiety, and related disorders is an alternate or in some cases adjunct to psychological treatment. Drugs that influence glutamatergic, adrenergic, serotonergic, endocannabinoid systems and various neuropeptide are generally preferred. In such therapies antidepressants are the first-line pharmacological treatment options such as serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs are effective against several types of mental disorders specifically depression and anxiety (S28-S30). Agomelatine (a melatonin receptor agonist) and Vilazodone (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and partial agonist of serotonin receptors) are also recommended in depression (S27,S31). Among second-line agents for anxiety and depressive disorders benzodiazepines have been found with good results. However, they have some serious adverse effects including dizziness, drowsiness, and increased risk of falls. In such cases the alternative drugs (that modulate GABA signaling), including, gabapentin and pregabalin can be used. In case of severe anxiety, risperidone or quetiapine (atypical antipsychotics) should be given as an adjunct to SSRIs or SNRIs (S27,S31-S33). All these drugs could be effective; however, their use should be only recommended when psychological approaches are not working. Nevertheless, the use of both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy (combined therapy) is more beneficial and effective in the case of chronic anxiety and depressive disorders (S27).