Health
'Pandemic skip,' a COVID mental health phenomenon, could delay major milestones, experts say
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in a lot of loss — and to this day people may be losing out because of it.
A mental health phenomenon dubbed the “pandemic skip” has caught viral attention on social media.
The hosts of the podcast “Between Us Girlies” revealed their understanding of the concept in a TikTok video, which has been viewed over six million times.
COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS: WHAT’S UP WITH NOSTALGIA FOR THE ‘OUTBREAK ERA’?
“Whatever age you were when the pandemic started is … where you’re at mentally,” Casey Corradin, the Pennsylvania-based co-host, said in the video, which was posted in November 2023.
“So, these women that were, like, 27 when the pandemic started, and then it’s three years later and they’re 30, and everyone around them is having kids, they’re like … ‘I’m not ready to have kids. I’m still young, I’m 27.’”
She added, “We were in our early 20s when the pandemic started — and we took a big chunk of the early-20s, figuring-your-life-out phase, and now we’re 27 and we’re still figuring it out.”
Dominique Hamler, a registered nurse and executive director of the Los Angeles Outpatient Center, told Fox News Digital that the pandemic skip could pose a real concern for people of all ages.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED ‘COLLECTIVE TRAUMA’ AMONG US ADULTS, NEW POLL SAYS
“I am just excited that there is a word for it, because we definitely lost a moment of our lives during the pandemic,” she said.
“People were suffering with not only illness, but the fact that we were isolated and couldn’t even touch each other for a long period of time.”
Los Angeles Outpatient Center executive director Dominique Hamler said the pandemic skip could pose a real concern for people of all ages. (AONL Conference 2023)
Hamler worked on the front lines of the pandemic as a registered nurse. She said the pandemic skip refers to “that time period where our lives were disrupted.”
“Our lives were totally changed and will never be the same,” she said. “Not to mention our experience of what we lost from the aspect of time that we’ll never be able to gain again.”
FREE COVID TESTS COMING TO US SCHOOLS, SAYS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: ‘PREVENTING THE SPREAD’
Hamler considers the concept a “mental regression,” as people feel stuck at the same developmental period and age they were when the pandemic started.
“We’re still processing it years later,” she said.
Psychologist Dr. Yamalis Diaz of NYU Langone reiterated that the pandemic skip represents a significant pause or slowing down of development.
A mental health phenomenon dubbed the “pandemic skip” has gone viral. (iStock)
“It’s almost like a movie you paused and resumed,” she said in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“For people in a developmentally sensitive state … when a lot of developmental change is occurring, such as young adults, it makes sense that they would feel this most, compared to older adults whose lives were already relatively stable when the pandemic started.”
“People were suffering with not only illness, but the fact that we were isolated and couldn’t even touch each other for a long period of time.”
Young adults in particular may feel this impact when it comes to completing education, making career decisions, dating, establishing long-term relationships and becoming financially independent, Diaz said.
“[These] are all critical elements of this developmental stage and were highly impacted by having to ‘pause,’” she said.
Traditional plans and milestones were also put on hold during the pandemic, said Hamler.
Establishing long-term relationships is one of the critical developmental phases that was highly impacted by the pandemic, an expert said. (iStock)
“If you were a young adult, maybe thinking about getting married or having kids, that was put on hold,” she said.
This “skip” could result in continued delayed development if not addressed, Hamler warned.
“We are just at the tip of the iceberg [when it comes to] addressing mental health as a whole,” she said.
WHAT IS TAYLOR SWIFT AMNESIA? SWIFTIES REPORT THEY CAN’T REMEMBER HER CONCERTS FOR THIS REASON
“It’s going to delay everything until we start having a conversation about it, start getting the therapy and the treatment we need to address the trauma” that the pandemic caused, she said.
For some people, Hamler suggested a “deeper dive” may be necessary in order to “advance mentally, spiritually and emotionally.”
For some people, a “deeper dive” may be necessary in order to “advance mentally, spiritually and emotionally,” an expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“It’s going to take some time and … a full, head-on focus on mental health,” she said.
Diaz agreed that the pandemic skip will cause a ripple effect that could delay other milestones, but noted that it’s “not necessarily a completely new phenomenon.”
THE TAYLOR SWIFT OBSESSION: PSYCHOLOGIST WEIGHS IN ON WHY FANS WORSHIP CELEBRITIES
“[This] is part of the basis for Dr. Jeffrey Arnett’s Emerging Adulthood theory,” she said.
Arnett, a psychologist, proposed that people between ages 18 and 25 are in a period called “emerging adulthood.”
“Our lives were totally changed and will never be the same.”
“In essence, when you look back over generations, the ‘path to adulthood’ has gotten longer, and young adults are reaching what are considered ‘traditional adulthood markers’ — finishing education, leaving home, becoming financially independent, starting a career, getting married and having kids — at older ages.”
Since the pandemic was “such a dramatic, ‘stop-everything’ kind of event,” Diaz suggested that it’s likely to impact transition times for the 20-something generations, he suggested.
Young party-goers dressed as holiday characters participate in the annual SantaCon pub crawl on Dec. 9, 2023, in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
“This is especially true when you also consider mental health, which could also impact young adults’ ability to successfully transition through this stage,” she said.
“Given that this stage of development is already susceptible to increased anxiety, depression and executive functioning difficulties, the pandemic … added pressure to an already pressured developmental turning point.”
Hamler recommended “giving yourself time” instead of chasing milestones that may have been missed.
Pubs and restaurants reopen in London’s Soho following the U.K. government’s relaxing of COVID restrictions in England on April 12, 2021. (Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images)
With 2024 marking four years since the coronavirus outbreak, Hamler encouraged people not to suppress their emotions and to seek professional help when needed.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“We need to talk about our problems,” she said. “It’s OK to feel angry, frustrated, depressed, anxious — all these feelings are normal.”
Travelers wear face masks as a preventive measure during the COVID-19 outbreak as they arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on March 20, 2020. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
“Between Us Girlies” podcast co-host Corradin echoed this remark in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“It’s so comforting to see so many people, across all different ages, who feel the same way,” she said.
“[The fact that it’s] resonating with so many different people shows us that even if we feel alone — we’re not.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
A look back at the medical miracles of 2025
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to highlight 2025 breakthroughs, from a pineapple-derived burn cream to a newly approved heart procedure.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
America has been at the forefront of medical innovation since the nation’s founding in 1776.
From groundbreaking surgeries to cancer breakthroughs, U.S. physicians have helped transform nearly every field of medicine.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, experts are highlighting some of the most influential medical innovations in the nation’s history.
No. 1: Orthopedic care
John Uribe, MD, orthopedic surgeon and system chief executive at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care in Florida, said he believes the greatest breakthrough in orthopedics is the evolution of joint replacement surgery, particularly of the hip and knee.
AMERICA’S LIFESPAN HAS DOUBLED SINCE 1776 — EXPERTS REVEAL WHAT CHANGED
“A generation ago, severe arthritis or joint damage often meant a lifetime of pain, limited mobility and loss of independence,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Today, orthopedic surgeons can replace a damaged joint with highly durable implants, use advanced imaging and navigation, and increasingly rely on robotic-assisted technology to personalize implant positioning and improve precision.”
“The future of orthopedics will be less one-size-fits-all and more focused on matching the right procedure, implant, recovery plan and technology to the individual patient,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Today, patients can walk the same day after joint replacement, return home sooner and recover with less disruption than in the past, according to Uribe.
WOMAN WITH ADVANCED ALZHEIMER’S REGAINED SPEECH AND MEMORIES AFTER TAKING MAGIC MUSHROOMS
“Hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic procedures, advanced fracture care and spine treatments have allowed patients to stay active longer and maintain independence as they age,” the doctor said. “The biggest impact is that orthopedic care can give people back parts of their lives they thought they had lost.”
“For many patients, the goal is no longer just to relieve pain; it is to restore movement, independence and quality of life.”
No. 2: Mental health treatment
For most of America’s 250 years, mental illness was largely treated indirectly with medication, or not at all when medication was ineffective, according to Dr. Russ Voltin, a West Virginia-based practicing psychiatrist and medical consultant at BrainsWay.
The biggest breakthrough, Voltin told Fox News Digital, has been neuromodulation therapies like deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which are “clinically proven to non-invasively target the brain circuits involved in conditions such as depression and OCD, helping rebalance neural activity at its source.”
“Mental health is brain health, and for the first time, we have treatments designed to address it that way.”
For most of America’s 250 years, mental illness was largely treated indirectly with medication, or not at all when medication was ineffective. (iStock)
A generation ago, a patient who didn’t respond to medication had very limited options, he said.
“Today, a clinician can offer noninvasive brain stimulation in an outpatient chair – no anesthesia, no sedation, none of the prominent side effects of medication, and all with limited lifestyle interruption.”
The FDA recently expanded clearance for an accelerated Deep TMS protocol that shortens the initial phase of depression treatment from about four weeks of daily visits to just six treatment days.
“Mental health is brain health, and for the first time, we have treatments designed to address it that way.”
“For someone in a depressive crisis, this is the difference between waiting and getting better,” the expert said.
In clinical trials, roughly 78% of patients reached remission and more than 80% were still in remission a full year later.
“The biggest shift is that for people who once cycled through medication after medication with no relief, durable recovery is now a realistic goal rather than a hope.” (iStock)
“As a clinician, that last figure is the one that matters most: People going back to work, repairing relationships and re-entering their own lives, not just scoring better on a questionnaire,” Voltin said.
“The biggest shift is that for people who once cycled through medication after medication with no relief, durable recovery is now a realistic goal rather than a hope.”
No. 3: Cancer care
Cancer care has advanced dramatically over the past 250 years, with breakthroughs in prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment transforming patient outcomes.
Leonard Kalman, MD, acting system chief executive at Baptist Health Cancer Care and acting executive medical director at Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute in South Florida, said one of the most important breakthroughs in oncology is the understanding that “at its core,” cancer is a genetic disease.
Today, physicians can cure certain leukemias and lymphomas that were “once far more difficult to treat,” an expert noted. (iStock)
“Cancer can be driven by inherited germline mutations or by somatic mutations that occur in normal tissue and lead cells to become malignant,” he told Fox News Digital. “That discovery has transformed how we understand, diagnose and treat cancer.”
Today, physicians can cure certain leukemias and lymphomas that were “once far more difficult to treat,” the doctor noted.
NEW BLOOD TEST DETECTS 90% OF AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCER CASES, BEATING CURRENT SCREENINGS
“We can also extend life while preserving quality of life for many patients with metastatic cancers — including diseases such as lung cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer, where treatment options were much more limited a generation ago,” Kalman said.
Many of those advances have shifted cancer care toward more individualized treatment, allowing physicians to tailor therapies based on a patient’s specific disease.
“For many patients, the goal is no longer just to relieve pain; it is to restore movement, independence and quality of life.”
“Advances in targeted therapies, immunotherapy, molecular testing and supportive care allow physicians to better personalize treatment, manage side effects and help patients live longer with a better quality of life, even when cancer has spread beyond the primary tumor,” the doctor said.
No. 4: Cardiovascular care
Tom Nguyen, MD, system chief executive at Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care and chief medical executive at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in South Florida, highlighted the ability to diagnose heart disease earlier and treat “even the most complex conditions” with safer, more precise and less invasive therapies.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, but patients who once might have died in their 40s or 50s are now routinely living into their 80s and 90s with an excellent quality of life,” he told Fox News Digital.
Although cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, patients who once might have died in their 40s or 50s are now “routinely living into their 80s and 90s with an excellent quality of life,” the doctor said. (iStock)
Procedures like open-heart surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary stents, catheter-based valve replacement, advanced imaging and robotic heart surgery have “completely transformed what is possible,” according to Nguyen.
“Robotic heart surgery is a powerful example of how far the field has come,” he said. “For appropriately selected patients, surgeons can now perform highly complex heart procedures through much smaller incisions using robotic technology that provides exceptional visualization, precision and control.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The biggest achievement, Nguyen said, is not only helping people live longer, but also helping them “live better.”
“Today, heart and vascular specialists can perform procedures that would have seemed almost unimaginable just one generation ago,” he said. “Patients are surviving heart attacks, valve disease, rhythm disorders and complex vascular conditions at rates that would have been difficult to imagine decades ago.”
“Many complex cardiac operations that once required opening the chest can now be performed through small incisions, or robotically – allowing patients to recover much faster with less pain and disruption to their lives,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Success isn’t measured only by survival, Nguyen added. “Our ultimate goal is to help patients feel better and return to the lives they enjoy.”
No. 5: Neurology
Michael McDermott, MD, system chief executive of Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care and chief medical executive at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, said the ability to safely operate on the brain is the greatest advancement in American neuroscience.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Less than a century ago, a craniotomy was an extraordinarily risky operation, and survival itself was far from guaranteed,” he told Fox News Digital. “Today, advances in anesthesia, electrocautery, imaging, surgical navigation, brain mapping and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring have transformed brain surgery into a highly precise and much safer procedure.”
The ability to treat acute stroke in real time has been “equally transformative,” McDermott noted.
The growth of artificial intelligence is “beginning to transform spine surgery,” a neurologist said, by helping physicians identify which patients are “most likely to benefit from complex corrective procedures and by allowing implants to be precisely modeled before surgery.” (iStock)
“Using advanced imaging and mechanical thrombectomy, physicians can now remove a clot from the brain and restore blood flow before permanent damage occurs in many eligible patients,” he said. “At the same time, innovations such as high-intensity focused ultrasound for essential tremor demonstrate how neuroscience has become increasingly precise and less invasive.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Today, neuro experts can accomplish tasks that “would have been difficult to imagine just one generation ago,” McDermott noted.
“We can remove blood clots from the brain during an active stroke, implant deep brain stimulation devices for Parkinson’s disease, and perform highly sophisticated brain and spine surgery using advanced imaging, navigation and artificial intelligence,” he said.
Medical advancements have improved quality of life in patients with brain tumors and spinal complications. (iStock)
Advances like image-guided surgery, intra-operative brain mapping, neurophysiologic monitoring and radio-surgery allow surgeons to remove tumors more safely while protecting areas of the brain responsible for movement, speech and other critical functions, he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Beyond brain tumors, other advances across neuroscience, like corrective spine surgery, have allowed doctors to restore posture and mobility in patients with severe spinal deformities. Meanwhile, focused ultrasound can “significantly reduce tremors that interfere with everyday activities such as writing, eating or drinking,” McDermott noted.
“Increasingly, our goal isn’t simply to help patients survive – we’re helping them maintain their independence, preserve function and return to the lives they want to live.”
Just For You
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Health
West Nile virus detected in southern state as health officials warn residents about mosquitoes
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Health officials in Nashville are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year.
The Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) announced the virus was found in a mosquito pool collected near Cass Street in North Nashville, marking the city’s first detection of West Nile virus in 2026 and the earliest positive mosquito sample of the season.
The detection comes after health officials reported elevated West Nile virus activity in mosquito pools during 2025, when one human case of the virus was confirmed.
“We can all play a role in reducing the presence of mosquitoes in our community, making our outdoor areas both more pleasant and safer from mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus,” Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of health at the Metro Public Health Department, said in a statement to Fox 17.
MEASLES-INFECTED TRAVELER MAY HAVE EXPOSED PASSENGERS AT LAX AND NEARBY HOTEL, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN
A close-up shows mosquitoes feeding in Tehatta, India, on May 1, 2026. Health officials in Nashville recently detected West Nile virus in a mosquito pool, prompting residents to take precautions against mosquito bites. (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“As our team educates those in the area where West Nile virus was found, we hope the rest of our community does what they can to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes this summer.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is the leading mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, but about one in five experience fever, headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Fewer than 1% develop a serious neurological illness that can affect the brain or spinal cord, with older adults and people with weakened immune systems facing the greatest risk.
Public health officials routinely trap and test mosquitoes throughout the summer to monitor for West Nile virus activity. A positive mosquito sample does not necessarily mean people in the area will become infected, but it serves as an early warning that the virus is circulating locally.
In response to the positive test, MPHD said crews are distributing educational flyers in the affected neighborhood, increasing mosquito trapping, monitoring standing water and applying larvicide where needed to help reduce mosquito populations. The department said it does not spray insecticide to kill adult mosquitoes.
POTENTIALLY SEVERE MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS SURGES IN US ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS
The Aedes mosquito is a known vector for several viruses, including West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus. (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Residents can also request a free backyard inspection from the department’s Pest Management team to identify areas where mosquitoes may be breeding.
Health officials recommend eliminating standing water from bird baths, flowerpots, buckets, old tires, children’s toys and other outdoor containers where mosquitoes lay eggs. Trimming overgrown vegetation around homes can also help reduce mosquito activity.
A field sample of mosquitoes that could carry West Nile Virus is seen at offices of the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health on April 26, 2007, in Hemet, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
To help prevent mosquito bites, the health department recommends using EPA-approved insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors during peak mosquito hours around dusk and dawn, and making sure window and door screens are in good repair.
Officials said reducing mosquito breeding around homes can help lower the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses throughout the community.
-
Indiana2 minutes agoIndiana BMV, ISP dispel rumours about Blackout license plates
-
Kansas7 minutes agoLinn County, Kansas, man killed in early Thursday crash
-
Kentucky17 minutes agoA Kentucky big man is predicted to be one of the SEC’s breakout stars this season
-
Louisiana24 minutes agoA little history lesson on the Revolutionary War, and Louisiana’s role
-
Maine27 minutes agoMaine justices to decide fate of transgender sports ballot question
-
Maryland32 minutes agoSearch underway for missing man in Potomac River near Great Falls Park in Maryland
-
Michigan39 minutes agoOcasio-Cortez backs El-Sayed in Michigan U.S. Senate race
-
Massachusetts42 minutes agoImproving Long-Term Care for Seniors in Massachusetts – Center for Retirement Research
