Psychiatrist: Hypochondriasis, not virus, is the real threat amid COVID-19 surge

Health officials are cautioning people to mask up and keep hand sanitizer near as levels of COVID-19 surge throughout the country. It’s reportedly the largest summertime spike since 2022. Los Angeles is now facing an average of 452 cases of COVID-19 daily.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health warned that “given the increased transmission of new strains of COVID-19, residents should continue taking common-sense precautions to avoid transmitting or becoming ill with COVID-19.”

The San Francisco Department of Public Health echoed concerns about stopping the spread and suggested that people “please consider wearing a well-fitted mask in crowded indoor spaces.”

The Washington Examiner spoke with Dr. Mark McDonald , who said he witnessed patients of all ages become significantly affected during the pandemic, isolating themselves and becoming petrified. He said he felt so moved by what he witnessed that the Los Angeles-based psychiatrist wrote two books about overcoming fear.

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McDonald stressed that the current strains of COVID-19 are much weaker and argued that people suffer more from hypochondriasis rather than the actual virus.

“We should not be concerned,” McDonald said. “What we hear, which broadly comes from the Public Health Department and the government and some of the media that sponsor them, is simply one more example. We've seen many since 2020 of the manipulation and weaponization of fear in order to control and manage a population.”