**1. Introduction**

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered many aspects of daily life, contributing to the higher incidence of psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety,

#### **Figure 1.**

*The two-hit paradigm: Excessive angiotensin II (ANG II) and loss of angiotensin (1–7) (ANG 1–7) generate oxidative stress both directly and indirectly (via ANG II-AT-1R and ANG II-NMDAR axes). COVID-19 critical illness is triggered when a preexistent redox dysfunction (second hit) is present.*

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use [1–8]. In addition, as SARS-CoV-2 is a neurotropic virus, delirium, cognitive impairment and psychosis were demonstrated in up to 40% of infected patients [9–11]. Moreover, like the previous pandemics, COVID-19 may be followed by delayed or even next-generation neuropsychiatric sequelae [12–14]. For example, the offspring of women pregnant during the 1918 influenza pandemic achieved lower education, socioeconomic status, and income as adults, indicating hidden and long-lasting effects [15] (**Figure 1**).
