The coronavirus pandemic has created an environment of uncertainty, fear and despair – emotions that erode mental health. AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy May 19, 2020 A perfect storm for medical PTSD: Isolation, intensive care and the coronavirus pandemic Michelle Flaum, Xavier University and Scott E. Hall, University of Dayton COVID-19 patients are spending weeks in intensive care units, isolated and alone, knowing they have a disease that doctors don’t fully understand. It’s a recipe for post-traumatic stress disorder.