This study focuses on the first nation-wide survey in China conducted from January 31st to February 10th, 2020 to collect a total of 52,730 responses across 36 regions as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. The survey was online and therefore available to the general public. The questionnaire (the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index, or CPDI) included questions about the demographic data, diagnostic questions for phobias and stress disorders (from the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision), cognitive change, physical symptoms, and decrease of social functioning to calculate a score from 0 to 100. The study’s findings showed higher psychological distress in females than males and in participants ages 18 to 30 years or over 60. Those below the age of 18 years may have shown the lowest scores due to the fact that there is a lower mortality rate in younger people. Additionally, the accessibility of medical resources and measures taken against the epidemic factored into the CPDI scores.