Americans are not changing our behavior as we absolutely must to defeat this enemy.
A new Harris Poll survey reports that 89 percent of Americans are still going to coffee shops. Half of respondents have not altered their hygiene behavior with house guests (e.g., asking friends and family to wash their hands immediately upon entering); 58 percent have not changed how often they are inviting people over.
You may have seen footage of beaches and bars filled with people socializing as if the situation were normal. One college student on spring break at Miami beach told reporters, “This virus ain’t that serious.”
This student is absolutely wrong.
Coronavirus is killing thousands of people around the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is describing this as the gravest crisis we have faced since World War II. As I have written, more Americans could die from coronavirus than died in that horrific war.
The fact that you don’t feel ill does not mean that you are not ill.
Many people with coronavirus will never have symptoms of the disease or will confuse their symptoms with seasonal allergies or the flu. However, they are still contagious. They can still infect others, including those who are most at risk.
And since more than half of all Americans have at least one of the symptoms that puts them at risk, to put the situation bluntly: we can literally be infecting people who will die as a result.
How can we get more of us to do what everyone must do?
The urgency of ‘physical distancing’
A psychologist suggests that we reframe the answer as “physical distancing,” as opposed to “social distancing.” This is a great idea, for two reasons.
First, “physical distancing” describes the actual need of the day. Staying at least six feet away from others is mandatory.
Second, “social distancing” (apart from its meaning in the context of the pandemic) can contribute to loneliness, anxiety,…
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