**7. Beyond the surge: strategies to address the mental health impact of post-COVID fatigue**

Chronic fatigue experienced by some individuals who recovered from the COVID-19 infection may be a menace to its victims. It exposes people to new vulnerabilities that significantly impact their mental health status. Considering the widespread of the corona virus in the last two (2) years, it is imperative that its mental health effects are checked promptly to prevent an overwhelming surge in the prevalence of global mental health dysfunction.

Despite a surge in the mental health issues following the first few months of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (2020) reported a marked reduction in the delivery of and accessibility to mental health services. Nonetheless, mental health experts came up with new ways of rendering efficient mental health services to individuals who need it. By mid-2020, many developed nations had established the use of digital health means to deliver mental health care [44, 45]. Chew et al. [35] reported the effective use of digital health methods such as cloud-based big data systems, artificial intelligence (AI)–based chatbots, online health communities (OHCs), and telehealth platforms in mental healthcare delivery.

In 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) [46] proposed the empowerment of individuals to return to the community fully and take charge of their own management with the help of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. Healthcare practitioners have identified the need for psychologists and physicians to collaborate to ensure the successful management mental health issues due to long-COVID [47]. A psychologist, Hardin reported the lack of an absolute treatment (surgery, or medication) that would instantly relieve the mental health symptoms experienced by survivors of the COVID-19 diseases [47]. She however opined that early intervention and provision of realistic advice to help patients manage their feelings during this period, may significantly impact the efficacy of treatment. Aiyegbusi et al. [48] suggested routine mental health screening as a part of the followup treatment for people suffering from post-COVID fatigue and other long-COVID syndromes. This will help healthcare providers to promptly identify individuals who are at risk and commence management early [48].
